Thu, 05/02/2024 – 10:01 AM | Posted by: Gabriella Sinsky
Combining the strengths of traditional maritime industries such as shipbuilding, fishing, seafood processing and coastal tourism with advanced technology, business and professional services, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is recognized as one of the nation’s strongest blue economies. Mississippi’s coastal counties are home to more than 4,200 maritime companies, creating one of the highest concentrations of blue economy jobs in the United States.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Mississippi coast employs 147,000 people and generates more than $16 billion in gross domestic product annually. The Gulf Blue Initiative leverages the region’s geography and marine resources to bring about “sudden big ideas,” positioning the Mississippi Gulf Coast to lead the development of world-changing innovations.
Mississippi’s Gulf Coast is the “Gateway to Innovation to the Gulf of Mexico,” with state-of-the-art research facilities, wet labs, and year-round access to the Gulf Coast’s warm waters. The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Gulf Blue Navigator (GBN) leverages this position to accelerate time to revenue for late-stage startups. This four-month blended program provides unique access to expertise, collaboration, research, testing, light industry, funding and physical infrastructure.
The 2024 GBN Cohort includes six startups: Mythos AI, LeVanta Tech, BLUEiQ, Seasats Inc., V2 Forensics, and Oscilla Power. All of these companies have registered to do business in Mississippi and are currently members of the Gulf Blue Coworking Space located in the Gulf and Ship Island Building in downtown Gulfport, Mississippi.
Throughout the four-month program, these startups were given unique access to USM’s partners, capabilities, and resources focused on unmanned systems. This cohort is currently preparing for his June 12th Demo Day.th The company will be pitching its technology to maritime companies, local communities and investors at the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center.
Natalie Guess, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program Manager at the Innovation Management Office, is a strong advocate of the GBN program.
“We are working with the Department of Marine Science and Technology to help these companies accelerate and introduce their technology to market and into our greatest asset, the Gulf of Mexico.” says Guess.
Jansen Cohoon is president of V2 Forensics, a Mississippi-based startup that provides digital forensics solutions featuring artificial intelligence (AI), professional 3D scanners, and mobile forensics capabilities. His areas of expertise include reducing the complexity and time of investigating unmanned vessel activity through advanced cybersecurity.
“USM gives us access to the facilities and research expertise of the Port of Gulfport, and the collaboration with Southern Miss has been extremely beneficial,” Cohoon said.
Rob McGarlin, Co-Founder blue iQHeadquartered in Massachusetts, the company aims to create social, economic and environmental value while protecting biodiversity. This small business is committed to clean technology and sustainability while developing underwater sound into intelligence.
“We are working to solve problems in biodiversity conservation, reduce mammal attack vessels, and keep dolphin populations healthy,” McGarlin explains.
Dylan Sparks is Director of Operations at Mythos AI, Headquartered in Florida. Sparks and his team are developing autonomous, self-driving ships while helping to develop sustainable solutions to provide a greener global shipping industry.
Kelly Echols is the founder of Missouri-based LeVanta Tech. Echols named the company after his father and envisions blue technology for the seas and skies through “floating” drones. Drones have the ability to fly undetected and at high speeds for civil and defense missions.
Seasat and Oscilla Power are hard to miss because of their expertise in unmanned vessels. Seasats, headquartered in California, provides autonomous surface vehicles (ASV) with marine life-surviving capabilities to the scientific, defense, and commercial/research markets. Osira Power has developed the Triton wave energy converter to power unmanned vessels while harnessing marine renewable energy solutions.
Gulf Blue Navigator is made possible through the participation, support and funding of sponsors and partners who support recruitment, selection, curriculum, instruction and more. This project is supported by federal funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality under the Gulf States Resource and Ecosystem Sustainability, Tourism Opportunities, and Economic Revitalization Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act). Paid by some.
Learn more about the Gulf Blue Navigator program.