Connecting the Ocean Economy with Capital

UNCTAD estimates the global ocean economy at between $3 trillion and $6 trillion annually. Yet much remains to be done to bridge the gap between research and innovation, and the markets, investment and new applications that can turn their potential into reality.

This was one of the key topics at A’Pelago Initiative 2026 in Turku, Finland, where businesses, researchers, investors and public sector representatives came together to discuss how to support the continued growth of the ocean economy. Cloudberry attended the event, with Joakim Lind leading a Deep Dive session exploring how storytelling and narratives can help connect businesses, knowledge and broader societal challenges.

“For this potential to be realised, we need to make it easier for knowledge, businesses and capital to come together. Ocean literacy, meaning our understanding of the ocean and our relationship with it, is an important part of this. Stories help put knowledge into a broader context and make it relevant to the people and organisations who need to turn it into decisions and action,” says Joakim Lind.

When these connections are unclear, it becomes harder for research and early-stage innovations to reach the businesses, investors and other stakeholders who can help take them forward.

A company, technology or individual project becomes easier to understand and assess when viewed in the context of the wider ecosystem and major challenges such as climate change, food security, biodiversity and resilience.

By connecting these different perspectives, stakeholders can better understand both the value of an individual solution and the broader developments it contributes to.

Emerging sectors need a shared language, compelling narratives and clear points of reference that help different stakeholders understand how the pieces fit together and the role they can play. Strategic communication can help bring clarity and cohesion to these sectors, making it easier for stakeholders to engage, collaborate and take action.

Are you working in a sector where knowledge, innovation and capital need to come together? Get in touch if you’d like to explore how strategic communication and storytelling can help shape and strengthen your field.

Read more: Joakim Lind explores the importance of lighthouses for the growing ocean economy in his Substack article: The Importance of Lighthouses for the Growing Ocean Economy ➚

Joakim Lind
Communications Consultant at Cloudberry and PhD in Business Administration.