Key takeaways from the 2nd edition of the Blue Economy and Finance Forum

On Thursday 28 and Friday 29 May, the 2nd edition of the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF) took place in Monaco, bringing together leading voices from finance, insurance, the private sector, innovation, science, policy and international organisations to accelerate the transition towards a regenerative and sustainable blue economy.

Held under the Presidency of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, and co-organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco and the Government of Monaco, this year’s edition confirmed the Forum’s role as a key international platform for mobilising capital, scaling solutions and turning ocean ambition into investable action.

Building on the momentum of its first edition, which demonstrated that the Ocean belongs on the balance sheet, the 2026 edition aimed to show that solutions already exist and are operational. With strong participation from high-level private sector actors, the Forum highlighted tangible proof that ocean-positive investment can work, while helping lay the foundations for the BEFF to become a key annual rendezvous for the blue economy and finance community.

The 2026 edition gathered representatives from 47 nationalities, with 60% of participants coming from the private sector and 23% representing institutional investors, venture capital and private equity funds. Across 20 sessions, including side events, and contributions from 56 high-level speakers, participants explored how to unlock finance at scale, accelerate innovation and support the development of a regenerative ocean economy.

This edition focused on several major themes, including:

Unlocking ocean finance, with discussions moving beyond the question of whether the blue economy is investable and focusing instead on how to finance it at scale. Participants explored how to embed nature as a driver of cash flow within existing financial instruments, close the annual ocean funding gap and rethink the rules of financial decision-making;

Transforming the maritime industry, with discussions highlighting the need to combine the adaptation of existing assets with the deployment of innovations at scale, from wind propulsion, hull bubble technology, low-friction coatings and AI-powered routing to biofuels and alternative energy sources. Participants also underlined the central role of ports as critical enablers of decarbonisation and broader ocean stewardship;

Scaling sustainable blue food, with speakers stressing that sustainable aquaculture must expand significantly to meet future protein demand, while being accompanied by stronger environmental safeguards, particularly in relation to feed production. Discussions also highlighted the importance of transparency in building consumer trust, the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food security in the Global South, and the growing potential of seaweed as a credible and increasingly profitable asset class;

Supporting investment-ready innovation, with the Forum showcasing ventures through pitch sessions and an innovation corner. Founders presented scalable solutions in ocean data and intelligence, restoration and protection, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, green shipping and yachting, and solutions to plastic pollution;

Mobilising capital for implementation, with a strong emphasis on redirecting capital flows, de-risking ocean investments and creating the financial conditions needed to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable blue economy. Among the major announcements, Amundi and Crédit Agricole announced the creation of a full business line dedicated to natural capital over the next three years, with the aim of making preservation and restoration projects investable.

As Romain Ciarlet, Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, stated:

“We now see growing mobilisation from investors, rapid technological innovation, unprecedented scientific consensus and a much clearer understanding that investing in the ocean is not only necessary from an environmental perspective, but also increasingly relevant from an economic and strategic one.

Perhaps this is the most important message of this Forum. The solutions exist. The capital exists. The innovation exists. The challenge now is scale. Scale of ambition. Scale of collaboration. And scale of execution.”

Robert Calcagno, CEO of the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, also underlined the strategic role of the Forum:

“As this Blue Economy and Finance Forum comes to a close, one message clearly stands out: opposing “economic development” and “ocean protection” no longer makes sense. That conviction is precisely why the BEFF was created. […] Tonight concludes three days of discussions and working collectively in two events that form a strategic continuum. While the Monaco Blue Initiative aims to help shape the high-level governance framework, the BEFF seeks to act as the operational engine that turns this framework into investable action. One thing is sure – it is time to enter a new phase: the phase of implementation; the phase of acceleration.”

The Blue Economy and Finance Forum is an event organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco and the Government of Monaco, with the support of Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Banking, CFM Indosuez Wealth Management, SBM Offshore and Velamar.

@Philippe Fitte BEFF