Priority Projects and Partnerships Ocean-Based Industry/Economic Partnerships and Initiatives

Confidence in the future of the Blue Economy in southeastern MA encouraged ocean-based industry and economic partnerships to develop across the region. Research and industry leaders actively seek partnerships in the South Coast region through higher education institutions. Those initiatives that developed include:

• National Offshore Wind Institute - Bristol Community College (BCC)

• Connect4Wind – UMass Dartmouth, BCC, Massachusetts Maritime Academy (2018) expanded to include Bridgewater State, Cape Cod Community College, Massasoit Community College (2021)

• Massachusetts Research Partnership in Offshore Wind – UMass (Dartmouth, Amherst, Boston, Lowell), BCC Northeastern University, Tufts, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Stakeholders: Local Municipalities, SRPEDD, UMass Dartmouth, BCC

Proposed Investments and Initiatives: The National Offshore Wind Institute seeks to provide basic and advanced safety and technical training programs to prepare workers for jobs in construction, deployment, operations, and maintenance of offshore wind farms. In addition, Connect4Wind functions under a mission to complement the historic fishing industries and traditional uses of local ports, while considering the workforce and supply chain demands of offshore wind.

Strengths

• Growing off-shore wind and ocean-based industry clusters

• Strong regional universities, colleges, and community colleges

Weaknesses

• Despite gains, our workforce development efforts are not keeping pace with competitors and the modern economy

Opportunities

• Our region is strategically located to build on its existing Marine Science and Technology clusters and become the center of New England’s off-shore wind industry.

• Improved educational attainment can be advanced through strategic workforce development that is tailored to the “biotech” manufacturing, MST-based, and health care industries

Threats

• Unforeseen economic and social disruptions, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic

• Perceptions of persistently high unemployment and low educational attainment