On March 20, at the Porto Cruise Terminal (Terminal de Cruzeiros de Leixões), Blue Wink-E 2026 | Ocean AI Futures brings together four complementary perspectives to discuss how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the blue economy and who ultimately decides how this technology will be used.

The roundtable will feature João Claro, President of INESC TEC; Álvaro Sardinha, Founder of the Blue Economy Competence Centre (C2EA); Kelwin Fernandes, CEO of NILG.AI; and Guilherme Beleza Vaz, CEO of blueOASIS. The debate will be moderated by Patrícia Gonçalves, Marketing & Communication Manager at B2E CoLAB, who will guide the conversation in a dynamic and participatory format, actively engaging the audience throughout the session.

Scientific Infrastructure and Applied Technology

João Claro brings to the discussion the structural dimension of digital transformation. As Chairman of the Board of Directors at INESC TEC, one of Portugal’s leading research and technology development institutions, he represents the vision of scientific infrastructure, intelligent systems, and knowledge transfer as the foundation for scalable solutions within the blue economy.

At a time when global investment in digital ocean infrastructure is growing significantly, the central question becomes whether Portugal is prepared to translate scientific capacity into operational impact.

Talent and Leadership for the Transition

Álvaro Sardinha introduces the human dimension to the debate. As Founder of C2EA, he has consistently argued that the blue economy does not rely solely on technology, but on preparing leaders capable of integrating sustainability, maritime law, economic models, and innovation.

In a context where AI demands new hybrid skills, technical, strategic, and ethical, the discussion will address the critical role of human capital in ensuring responsible technology adoption.

Artificial Intelligence as a Decision Engine

Kelwin Fernandes, Co-Founder and CEO of NILG.AI, brings the perspective of enterprise AI adoption. With experience across multiple sectors, his contribution will focus on how AI can evolve from an operational tool into decision infrastructure, influencing investment, risk management, and organisational efficiency.

As environmental, climate, and operational data become strategic assets, the challenge is no longer purely technological, but governance-driven: how can AI be integrated without compromising transparency, trust, and accountability?

A Real Case in the Marine Environment

The practical dimension of the discussion will be reinforced by Guilherme Beleza Vaz, CEO of blueOASIS,, who leads the SmartFISHER project,  an AI-based underwater monitoring solution that measures species biometrics and behaviour, supporting aquaculture management and environmental impact assessment.

Using computer vision, the system transforms underwater data into actionable intelligence, demonstrating how AI is already operating in real marine environments.

A debate focused on strategic decisions

The roundtable is part of the Blue Wink-E 2026 | Ocean AI Futures programme, an international event dedicated to the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and the blue economy.

At a time when the global ocean economy represents approximately $3.3 trillion annually and digitalisation is emerging as a strategic layer across the sector, the debate will centre on a fundamental question:

Will Artificial Intelligence remain a tool for efficiency, or become the operating system that redefines how the ocean is financed, monitored, and governed?

The answer will depend not only on technological capability, but on the decisions made by those who develop, apply, and regulate it,  and on how society chooses to engage with this transformation.

The growing integration of Artificial Intelligence within the blue economy is already changing how projects are assessed, financed, and monitored. From climate risk modelling to aquaculture optimisation and predictive analysis of ocean data, technology is evolving from a technical instrument into strategic infrastructure. This transition requires not only scientific and technological capability, but also regulatory clarity and institutional vision.