During his visit to Singapore, HSH Prince Albert II participated in the 8th edition of the Ocean Innovators Platform, hosted by the Prince Albert II Foundation at Marina Bay Sands on Wednesday, November 27. The annual event serves as a hub for showcasing sustainable solutions and advanced technologies aimed at fostering a responsible blue economy.
The platform was opened by Olivier Wenden, Vice-President of the Prince Albert II Foundation, who underscored its mission to drive investments in innovative ideas and technologies addressing critical ocean challenges. “It is a platform for solutions, action, and results for our ocean,” Wenden stated, emphasising Monaco’s leadership in the blue economy, exemplified by initiatives like the ReOcean Fund. The 100 million euro investment fund supports pioneering projects that promote ocean sustainability.
Key discussions focused on sustainable finance and practical solutions. High-profile representatives from venture capital and private equity funds, including Douglas Hansen-Luke (Future Planet Capital), Jérémy Genin (Monaco Asset Management), Rob Kaplan (Circulate Capital), and Sébastien Guillaud (Shift4Good), explored the potential of blue tech innovations in areas such as sustainable aquaculture and alternatives to plastic. A separate session, moderated by Caroline Guyot of ENGIE-Factory APAC, featured insights from Janice-Renee Yoshioka, Vice President of Sustainable Finance at Conservation International, on strategies to build a regenerative blue economy.
In his closing remarks, Prince Albert emphasised the compatibility of sustainability and profitability within the blue economy. “Investments in sustainable aquaculture, renewable ocean energy, and the restoration of marine biodiversity hold tremendous potential for ecological impact and financial returns,” he noted. The Sovereign urged stakeholders to act with both ambition and pragmatism, highlighting this rare alignment of planetary benefit and investor opportunity.
Images courtesy of Michael Alesi – Palais Princier / Goderic Tia – FPA2
