It’s not enough to be. You also have to be seen to be. In Portugal’s blue economy, the challenge is similar: the value exists, but it is not always perceived as such.

If it were a country, the ocean would already be one of the largest economies in the world. And according to the World Economic Forum, it could grow from $2.6 trillion in 2020 to $5.1 trillion by 2050. In other words, at a global scale, the potential is clear. The value is there. Investment is following.

And, to be fair, that perception is not entirely wrong. The ocean is not a simple environment. Operating at sea involves high costs, operational risks, long development cycles and demanding regulatory frameworks.

But difficulty should not be mistaken for lack of opportunity.

Other countries have made that shift. Not because their seas are easier, but because they created the conditions to turn potential into industry.

Where scale, structured data and clear business models exist, investment follows. Just look at aquaculture in Norway, offshore energy in Northern Europe, or segments of blue biotechnology, from algae-based ingredients to new bioactive compounds. Where these conditions are in place, capital flows. Where they are not, it hesitates.

The misalignment persists. Not between science and technology – both exist and continue to advance –, but between the potential we generate and our ability to translate it into recognised economic value.

This is where structures that go beyond producing knowledge become critical, those that organise it, connect it to the market and make it actionable, bringing together science, companies and investment while enabling validation and scale. This is also where initiatives like B2E CoLAB seek to operate: not only by generating knowledge, but by helping translate it into solutions that can be tested, understood and adopted by the market.

In the end, the question is not whether we can innovate in the ocean.
The question is whether we can make that innovation clear enough, comparable enough and scalable enough for the market to recognise it as an opportunity.

Because in the market, it’s not enough to be. You also have to be seen.