Lisa Carnevale |
Vice president of innovation initiatives, R.I. Commerce Corp.
1. What are your priorities for Rhode Island’s federally designated Ocean Tech Hub? Our priorities focus on catalyzing current efforts in developing ocean technology to raise incomes for all and ensure all businesses and residents in the region can participate in the growing industry base. Our focus right now is working with our consortium members and partners to identify a network of physical and programmatic tools that will accelerate innovation and development of this technology.
2. As the hub applies for up to $70 million in funding, what makes the Ocean Tech Hub stand out from the other 30 hubs throughout the U.S.? We are the only designated hub focused on undersea technology. That’s paramount, as the ocean economy is poised to grow by nearly $300 billion over the next decade. Global shipping and supply chain, telecommunications, defense and national security, and renewable energies such as offshore wind are just some of the emerging use cases for ocean technology.
3. What resources does the region lack in terms of advancing the blue economy? We need to prioritize … developing the workforce pipeline to ensure residents throughout the state and from every community can engage in these high-growth industries, and investing in business growth so our startups can move out of [the] early stage and expand [their] size and employee count.
4. How does your work with innovation initiatives intersect with the Ocean Tech Hub? Through the [Innovation] Voucher Program, we’ve invested in several blue-economy companies. My team also works with the R.I. Science & Technology Council to support science and technology research, including a focus on ocean- and climate-related research, and administers the state’s match for SBIR/STTR [Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer] federal grants.
5. How does your experience leading DESIGNxRI impact your vision for the state’s overall innovation economy, and blue tech specifically? Designers are trained in the exploration of solutions and finding innovation whether in a product, building, business or brand. DESIGNxRI works to highlight this problem-solving nature of design as a practice and invests in the business growth of these design companies. … Helping to grow businesses and the economy is a combination of investment (financial, technical assistance, mentorship, community) and reduction of barriers (policies, access, limited tools, etc.). When we work both levers, we start to see the most momentum.