Nice Ocean Business Forum – June 9 to 11

As part of the United Nations Ocean Conference and the Year of the Sea, the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur and its partners* are organizing the Nice Ocean Business Forum from June 9 to 11.

For three days, this unique event will bring together companies from the blue economy, experts, investors, local government representatives, and international delegations.

Our ambition: To foster dialogue and exchanges among industry players, encourage the emergence of concrete solutions, and stimulate collaborations for the preservation of marine ecosystems.

Preliminary program

June 9: Economic Attractiveness & International Influence

09:00 – 09:30
Opening Ceremony
Speaker: Jacques Richier
Metropolitan Councillor for Economic Development, Tourism, Industry, Innovation and Employment
President of Team Nice Côte d’Azur


09:30 – 10:00
Keynote 1 – Sustainability Across Oceans
Speaker: Camille LOPEZ
CEO of HY-Plug, President of Young Professionals in Yachting Monaco
Entrepreneur of the Year – METSTRADE Amsterdam Women’s Yachting Awards 2024


10:00 – 11:00
Roundtable 1 – Sustainability and International Expansion: The Mediterranean Market for the Yachting Industry
Speakers:

  • Pietro ANGELINI, General Manager, Navigo

  • Pedro SUASI, Director, Balearic Marine Cluster

  • Fabien ARNOUX, Director, Riviera Yachting Network

  • David QUEVA, Group Technical Officer, Monaco Marine

  • Andréa LEMA, Commercial Manager, ATS France


11:00 – 11:30
Keynote 2 – Unleashing the Ocean’s Potential
Speaker: Kendra MACDONALD
CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster


11:30 – 12:30
Roundtable 2 – Water Preservation and Utilization: A Potential for Responsible Development
Speakers:

  • Charles McGARRAUGH, Chairman, OceanWell

  • Astrid SIOHAN, Director of Urban Heating & Cooling Networks, SMEG


12:30 – 14:00
Networking cocktail/lunch


14:00 – 14:30
Company Interview
Speaker: Charles McGARRAUGH, Chairman, OceanWell


14:30 – 15:00
Keynote 3 – Setting Sail for Tomorrow: The Future of Innovation
Speaker: Jean-Philippe COURTOIS
Former President and EVP, Microsoft Corp
President and co-founder, Live for Good
Chairman, SKEMA Business School


15:00 – 16:00
Roundtable 3 – Sea and Markets: Connecting Blue Innovation to Opportunities
Speakers:

  • Véronique RAOUL, CEO, INALVE

  • Rachid BENCHAOUIR, CEO, Coraliotech (MonacoTech)

  • Philippe LAVOISIER, CEO, ERANOVA

  • Margarita SIDOROVA, CEO, MediSea Biotech and Canadian Cosmetic Cluster


16:00 – 16:30
Investor Interview
Speaker: Sylvain PAGES, Co-founder, AltfinPartners


16:30 – 17:00
Bridging Distances: A Foreign Perspective on Shared Horizons & Closing Remarks
Speaker: Henri-Paul ROUSSEAU
Quebec’s General Delegate in Paris

June 10: International Economic Cooperation – Marine Biodiversity & Biotechnologies

09:00 – 09:30
Welcome of participants & morning coffee


09:30 – 10:00
Opening Keynote
Speaker: Nathalie MERCIER-PERRIN
President of the French Maritime Cluster


10:00 – 11:00
International market analysis and insights: key growth sectors of the blue economy
(by the BlueTech Cluster Alliance)
Speakers:

  • UK Ambassador to the UN

  • Ocean Institute

  • World Bank


11:00 – 11:30
Networking break


11:30 – 12:30
Ocean and maritime data for monitoring
Speakers:

  • Marine Tech

  • Innov&Sea

  • French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER)

  • Cosma

  • Bioceanor


12:30 – 14:00
Networking cocktail


14:00 – 15:00
Blue biotechnology for a sustainable ocean: unlocking the potential of marine biological resources
Speakers:

  • EABA (European Algae Biomass Association)

  • Inalve

  • Oceanographic Laboratory of Villefranche-sur-Mer

  • Algae Cluster


15:00 – 16:00
Offshore wind and marine renewable energies
Speakers:

  • EDF EN

  • France Energies Marines


16:00 – 16:30
Networking break


16:30 – 17:30
How is the blue economy addressing the challenge of sustainable ocean management?
Speakers:

  • Luxembourg Maritime Cluster

  • Federazione del Mare

  • Spanish Maritime Cluster

  • Baltic Sea & Space Cluster

  • Fórum Oceano


17:30 – 18:00
Keynote
Speaker: Jacques ROUGERIE
Architect, Jacques Rougerie Foundation – Institut de France


18:00 – 19:30
Networking cocktail