Sponsors (10)
The bill channels federal support, coordination, and grants to build regional ocean innovation hubs and workforce pipelines that could boost coastal economies and inclusion, but limited funding, administrative complexity, and design choices risk concentrating benefits, raising costs, and leaving many communities or private partners without meaningful support.
Small coastal businesses and local governments gain coordinated federal support, competitive grants, and clearer access to programs to help scale ocean-related ventures and commercialize marine technologies.
Coastal and marine regions get physical Ocean Innovation Centers / regional clusters that centralize labs, shared workspaces, and resources to spur local innovation and job creation.
Students, job‑seekers, and underrepresented communities (including Tribal communities) gain workforce training, internships, and apprenticeships targeted to jobs in the Blue Economy.
Total program funding is capped at $10 million per year, so many worthy clusters and projects may receive little or no support.
Individual awards (up to $10 million) risk concentrating funds in a few recipients, disadvantaging smaller or less-connected communities.
Creating and operating physical centers plus federal coordination likely increases federal spending and local costs, potentially raising taxpayer burdens.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Creates and funds regional Ocean Innovation Clusters to support Blue Economy collaboration, designating at least seven clusters and authorizing competitive grants up to $10M each.
Official title: To establish Ocean Innovation Clusters to strengthen the coastal communities and ocean economy of the United States through technological research and development, job training, and cross-sector partnerships, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 28, 2025 by Chellie Pingree · Last progress April 28, 2025
Creates a federal program to designate and fund regional "Ocean Innovation Clusters" that support sustainable "Blue Economy" industries by promoting collaboration among nonprofits, businesses, universities, Tribes, and government. The Department of Commerce must select at least seven geographically distributed clusters, assign federal liaisons, and may award competitive grants (up to $10M per cluster) with $10M authorized annually for FY2026–FY2030. The law defines key terms, requires coordination with Sea Grant, NOAA, and the Economic Development Administration, prioritizes geographic and demographic diversity (including Tribal and minority-serving institutions), and aims to build membership-based, locally delivered, self-sustaining regional networks for ocean-related innovation and economic development.