DATE: July 17, 2018
SUBJECT:
Title
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT UNDER THE BLUE ECONOMY INCUBATOR THIRD ROUND OF INCUBATOR PROPOSALS WITH SUNKEN SEAWEED LLC FOR A 1-YEAR PILOT PROJECT TO DEMONSTRATE FEASIBILITY OF SEAWEED AQUACULTURE IN SAN DIEGO BAY FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $137,000
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Since 2015, the District has been exploring new Blue Economy business opportunities, consistent with its public trust purposes, as a way to diversify its portfolio and strengthen its collective economic impact. In 2015, the District established the Aquaculture and Blue Technology Program to conduct studies, planning, and pre-development work to support and inform aquaculture and blue tech opportunities in and around San Diego Bay. Under this Program, in 2016, the District established a Blue Economy incubator to assist in the creation, early development, and initial scaling of new Blue Economy business ventures in and around San Diego Bay. As the state-legislated trustee of tidelands around San Diego Bay, fostering sustainable domestic aquaculture and driving Port-related blue tech innovation helps fulfill the Port's public trust responsibility to promote fisheries and commerce, as well as aligning with our mission to enhance and protect the environment.
The Blue Economy incubator was launched on May 9, 2016, inviting early stage and market-ready ventures that align with the incubator objectives to submit business and pilot project proposals as the first stage of a four step competitive review process. On June 20, 2017, by Resolution No. 2017-085, the Board authorized four agreements to initiate pilot projects as part of the incubator first round of proposals. The first round included pilot projects for shellfish aquaculture nursery operations, copper remediation applications, a Drive-in Boatwash technology, and a smart marina software application. As part of the incubator second round of proposals, on January 9, 2018, by Resolution No. 20...
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