SEATTLE – Maritime Blue this week welcomed hundreds of global leaders, innovators, and community members to One Ocean Week Seattle, the first U.S. edition of the global One Ocean Week, officially endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade.
Running through Sunday, October 26, the event has drawn more than 750 participants for over 50 events focused on industry innovation, decarbonization, supply chain resilience, and ecosystem collaboration.
“One Ocean Week Seattle is a powerful reminder that solutions for our oceans and our future start with collaboration,” said Joshua Berger, founder and president of Maritime Blue. “Seattle and the Pacific Northwest are global leaders in maritime innovation and sustainability, and at this gathering, we’re seeing what’s possible when collaboration meets local action: new partnerships, investments, and commitments to a thriving ocean economy.”
The week’s signature event, One Ocean Week Seattle Summit, brought together policymakers, scientists, industry executives, and entrepreneurs for dynamic conversations about the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of ocean industries. The summit included insights from Ambassador Peter Thomson, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean; HON Anniken Huitfeldt, Norway’s Ambassador to the U.S.; and thought leaders from the World Economic Forum, Trident Seafoods, SSA Marine, Corvus Energy, and more.
Panels and keynotes throughout the summit explored themes such as:
- Global engagement at the sub-national level, featuring international perspectives from France, Norway, and the U.S.
- Industry innovation in a time of transition, with executives addressing decarbonization, supply chain resilience, and sustainability in practice.
- Ecosystem collaboration, highlighting partnerships between investors, philanthropies, and innovators driving the Blue Economy forward.
“This week is about turning talk into action right here in the Pacific Northwest,” said Nico De Golia, Microsoft Supply Chain’s director of operations sustainability and innovation and Maritime Blue board chair. “We’re focused on building an ecosystem where solutions to global challenges can move quickly from the lab to the water, creating lasting impact for our communities and our planet.”
One Ocean Week Seattle will culminate with HarborFest (October 25–26), a two-day food and art festival open to the public. The family-friendly event features vessel tours, hands-on exhibits, live music, and local food along the waterfront. From historic ships to cutting-edge clean technology demonstrations, HarborFest connects Seattle’s working waterfront with the communities it serves — celebrating the people and industries that keep the ocean economy moving.
“With delegations from across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, One Ocean Week Seattle reinforces the city’s role as a global maritime innovation hub,” said Mr. Berger. “We’re grateful to our international collaborators for their role in making this inaugural event a success. Our hope is that the conversations this week will continue to advance ocean innovation and sustainability worldwide.”
(Photos show the Norwegian tall ship, Statsraad Lehmkuhl and an image of Joshua Berger, founder and president of Maritime Blue, Haakon Vatle, president of the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Foundation, Council member Dan Strauss, Honorary Consul Viggo Forde, the Mayor of Bergen, Consul General of Norway, and more as the vessel is coming in.)