All In On Blue

BLUE INNOVATION SYMPOSIUM HIGHLIGHTS KEY TRENDS to forecast the coming year

Published: Sunday, February 15, 2026 9:00 am

Blue Venture Forum’s (BVF) 11th Annual Blue Innovation Symposium (https://blueinnovationsymposium.com) featured a full speaker lineup of top influencers from the Blue Tech movement and starts Monday with offsite tours of key Blue Tech facilities in the area.

“The lineup of speakers at this year’s Blue Innovation Symposium will underscore the critical role of ocean and undersea technologies to both economic competitiveness and national security,” explains Dr. Toby Stapleton, BVF’s Director and Co-Founder, “by convening leaders across defense, commercial markets, and research, the symposium continues to help accelerate dual-use innovation at speed and scale.”

This year’s major presenters included Ben van Mooy, Deputy Director and Vice President of Science & Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI); Commander David Branighan, Staff Officer Submarines, British Defense Staff, Royal Navy; Molly Magee, CEO, Undersea Technology Innovation Consortium (UTIC); James Buescher, General Manager, Anduril Maritime; Jeremy Shattuck, CTO, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII); Scott Sideleau, Chief Architect, Undersea Warfare (USW) Combat Systems Department, Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division in Newport; Hanumhat Singh, Director, Institute for Experiential Robotics, Northeastern University; and Isaac Vando, Robotics Software Engineer, Deep Submergence Laboratory, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

“The Symposium provides compelling and unique insights into the national and international blue tech ecosystem,” says Molly Magee, CEO of the Undersea Technology & Innovation Consortium and one of the conference’s top presenters and a longtime attendee. “It’s great for us because it brings together academia, industry, and government to partner and collaborate, which is why the Undersea Technology Innovation Consortium is proud to be a Visionary Sponsor this year.”

“This conference consistently delivers a high-quality audience of senior leaders, investors and innovators focused on practical progress in ocean technology,” says Daryl Slocum, President & CEO of the Poseidon’s Forge, a startup focused on cutting edge autonomous underwater vehicles. “Participating at BIS lets us showcase that capability, forge partnerships for demonstrations and deployments, and move faster from innovation to impact.”

In addition to showcasing new technologies, this year’s event discussed several topics of interest to the industry, including how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used to enable the collection and analysis of data for several different use cases. The event will also showcase over 18 start-ups who are hoping to raise investment, engage with strategic partners, and identify opportunities for demonstration.

“The blue tech ecosystem of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts is the strongest in the country, in no small part due to the leadership and community building by BVF, and the Blue Innovation Symposium is consistently one of the most productive events in the region,” says Jake Russell, Ph.D and Co-Founder and CEO of Orpheus Ocean. “Our company continues to benefit from this incredible network, and we are looking forward to presenting our latest updates next week.”

tags: 11th annual, Advancements, Blue Tech, Blue Venture Forum, Boating, Engineering, Facilities, Influencers, Innovation, Movement, new technology, Symposium, Technology, Uncerwater Vehicles, Underwater