Blue Venture Forum’s unique conference brings together entrepreneurs, investors & stakeholders
NEWPORT, RI, UNITED STATES, January 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Blue Venture Forum’s (BVF) 11th Annual Blue Innovation Symposium (https://blueinnovationsymposium.com) (BIS) is all set for February 9-12, 2026, at the Wyndham Newport Hotel in Middletown, Rhode Island. The Symposium is one of the largest marine and oceanographic conferences in the US, attracting senior level leaders from a wide-cross section of industry, government, investors, and resource providers.
“This year’s Blue Innovation Symposium is going to have a strong focus on innovation with participation from key corporate organizations, and dozens of startups and investors, we will be showcasing the latest in unmanned, communication, sonar, and sensor systems.” says Toby Stapleton, BVF’s Director and Co-Founder. “Our partnership with the Undersea Technology Innovation Consortium (UTIC) continues to ensure that the conference features speakers and topics that are relevant to industry. And, from the beginning, we have worked closely with the Consulate General of Canada to connect dozens of US-based organizations with their Canadian counterparts; this had led to new investments, commercial partnerships and the development of new research opportunities.”
The Symposium has grown into one of the largest blue technology conferences in the United States; with over 350 attendees. The event attracts a diverse audience including industry leaders, startup founders, investors and key professionals from research organizations, resource providers and government.
“The Symposium is very important event for fostering economic development and innovation in the Blue Tech sector,” says Kim Gavin, CEO & Co-Founder of BLUEiQ (www.blueiq.com). “It provides a vital platform for startups, industry leaders, and researchers to connect, share insights, and explore new collaborations. For BlueiQ, For it’s an opportunity to showcase our OpenEar acoustic AI technology, engage with potential partners, and stay at the forefront of advancements in ocean sensing and maritime security.”
Key participants this year include the Undersea Technology Innovation Consortium (UTIC), DTN Ventures, Boston Engineering Corp., Jaia Robotics, Real Time Innovations, Teledyne Marine, Poseidon’s Forge, MITRE Corp., Commerce RI, the New Bedford Ocean Cluster, the US Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Enginuity Partners, Bishop Ascendant, VR Industries, Bryant University, the University of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University and BayCoast Bank.
“This is a very focused event that brings proper context to the work to stakeholders and investors who understand what companies like mine are doing,” says Sue Molloy, CEO and Founder of Glas Ocean Electric (www.glasoceanelectric.com). “We value this event highly because of the quality of the attendees and the key networks they represent in the Blue Tech sector.”
In addition to showcasing new technologies, this year’s event will discuss several topics of interest to the industry, including how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used to enable the collection and analysis of data for several different use cases. The event will also showcase over 18 start-ups who are hoping to raise investment, engage with strategic partners, and identify opportunities for demonstration.
“In recent years the number of AI-focused companies participating has increased to our advantage,” says Molloy. “The panel discussions last year gave a good basic overview of AI tech and news and its potential for wider application that has value for educating investors and highlighting opportunities for them.”
For ocean-focused leaders and associations like the Ocean Exchange (www.oceanexchange.org), this is a key annual networking opportunity with leaders and authorities working in the Blue Economy space who are potential subject matter experts for their review teams or potential Ocean Exchange conference attendees as voting delegates.
“We value the opportunity to connect with new startups who might apply for our annual grants,” says Ocean Exchange Program Director Susan Zellers. “We greatly appreciate seeing the collaboration between the Northeast corridor, Canada and the UK that is a really powerful indicator for the future of our oceans.”
For further information about all aspects conference, go to https://blueinnovationsymposium.com.
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About the Blue Innovation Symposium
The Blue Innovation Symposium is in its 11th year of operations and this year is the biggest and the most exciting yet. Over 50 speakers and 300 attendees will gather to discuss the next big business opportunities in creating technologies for ocean related commerce, research and defense. Experts in US Naval Defense, marine energy, ocean exploration, aquaculture, climate monitoring, and technology transfer will be featured this year. https://blueinnovationsymposium.com
About Blue Venture Forum (BVF)
BVF is a Newport, RI based non-profit with a mission to assist blue technology companies to grow and scale by connecting them to investors, corporate partners and resource providers. The forum develops and delivers customized programming, matchmaking, and mentoring targeted specifically at blue tech companies. The forum also organizes the largest Blue Economy conference in New England, Blue Innovation Symposium. https://blueventureforum.org/
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