Cape’s Blue Economy Initiative gets $180k boost

GRANT TO HELP EXPLORE POTENTIAL OF WATER-RELATED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Cape Cod Commission and Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce were awarded a $180,000 economic development planning grant by the Baker-Polito Administration’s Seaport Economic Council. The grant is in support of the chamber’s Blue Economy Initiative and is part of a $5.1 million round of economic development and infrastructure awards, to advance the maritime economy in coastal communities.

The Cape Cod Commission will serve as the fiscal agent for the grant.

“Water formed the Cape and shaped its economy over the past four centuries. It’s appropriate that we look to leverage and broaden that history to define the region’s future,” said Paul Niedzwiecki, Executive Director of the Cape Cod Commission.

“The Blue Economy is all about expanding and diversifying the Cape region’s economy beyond its seasonal tourism base, and creating a sustainable future based on a marine centered live-work-play economy,” said Chris Adams, Chief of Staff at the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce. “It’s taking advantage of assets that already exist here, and finding a sustainable and symbiotic course for the future that embraces both a vibrant economy and healthy environment.”

Launched in 2015, The Blue Economy is an initiative to promote and sustain a maritime focused economy in the Cape Cod region that builds on existing sustainable tourism efforts, our world class marine research community and technology cluster, and dedication to preserving our environment and quality of life. It also aims for full inclusion with existing economic and environmental planning efforts in the region. The Blue Economy will help ensure that Cape Cod is a sustainable, vibrant and desirable place to live-work-play and create.

Funding from this grant will be used for the first phase of the project that includes data gathering, community and business community outreach, plan development, marketing and branding.

The Seaport Economic Council furthers the Baker-Polito Administration’s goal of supporting communities and residents across the state by leveraging unique economic assets to drive sustainable regional growth. The council was re-launched in August, with a mission to deepen the maritime economy, promote economic development, and support resilient infrastructure in all 78 of Massachusetts’ coastal communities while preparing them to engage with the challenges posed by sea level rise and increasingly powerful coastal storms.

The council’s capital grant program supports working waterfronts, local tourism, coastal resiliency, and maritime innovation, from the North Shore to Cape Cod and the South Coast.

For more information about The Blue Economy, log on to http://www.whycapecod.org/blueeconomy.