AI & Blue Tech : The next wave of ocean protection

This Eventbrite page is intended solely to collect participant information for the event. The side event will take place in the Green Zone, which is open to the public.
Please note: registration does not guarantee entry or a seat.

SESSION 1: 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM, Side Event in ORCA Room

11:30 – 11:40 | Opening Remarks

• Brice Huet, General Commission for Sustainable Development, French Ministry Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, the Sea, and Fisheries

General Coordination: · Nicolas Occhiminuti (Co-founder, Waves of Change) & Mathilda D’Silva (CEO, Ocean Purpose Project)

11:40 – 12:00 | Panel Discussion
Theme: How can innovation through AI and Bluetech help reconcile human activities, ocean protection, and coastal resilience?
Speakers:

• Moderator: Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy, CEO, World Ocean Council
• Scientific Organization: Rachel Tiller, Chief Scientist, Department of Fisheries and New Biomarine Resources, SINTEF Ocean
• Company: Yves Soufflet, CEO, Waves'n see (video monitoring & AI for coastal risks)
• Coastal Territory: Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, President of Nice Metropole (tbc)

12:00 – 12:15 | Screening & Discussion
Theme: “Beaches and Oceans Facing Plastic Pollution”
Objective: Raise awareness about the issue of plastic pollution and its effects on oceans and beaches, while showcasing concrete solutions

• Format: Awareness-raising video screening followed by a debate
Presentation of the scale of the ocean plastic crisis and cleanup solutions developed by The Ocean Cleanup, targeting rivers and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. In addition to deployed systems for plastic collection, The Ocean Cleanup will showcase AI-powered computer models used to map global plastic flows and focus efforts on the most affected areas. To make the ocean and beach plastic crisis more tangible, a screening and debate with Ocean Purpose Project (a Singaporean social enterprise) will be offered to the public.

• Host: Société Générale
• Speakers:

• Montgomery Simus, Global Director of Public Affairs, Policy, and Blue Finance, The Ocean Cleanup

SESSION 2: 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM, European Pavilion for a Digital Ocean

1:45 – 1:55 | Opening Remarks
Mercator Ocean International – Alain Arnaud, Head of the Digital Ocean Department

General Coordination: Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture

1:55 – 2:05 | Scientific Keynote
Nayat Sanchez-Pi, CEO of Inria Chile and Director of the Franco-Chilean Binational Center on AI
Theme: Ocean 2050 – What Challenges for Innovation and Science?
Objective: Provide an overview of key oceanic challenges by 2050 (biodiversity, plastic pollution, warming, sea-level rise) and explore the critical roles of science and AI in addressing these issues

2:05 – 2:15 | Inspiring Keynote

Zoi KONSTANTINOU, DG MARE, European Commission

2:15 – 2:40 | Pitch Session “Innovating for the Oceans”
Theme: Startups and companies committed to Bluetech and AI
Objective: Highlight concrete innovations for improving water quality, reducing pollution, decarbonizing maritime activities, etc.

Moderator: Claire Dorville, Europe and International Project Manager, General Commission for Sustainable Development, French Ministry Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, the Sea, and Fisheries

Scheduled Pitches:

• Samuel Dupont, CEO, Biocéanor (BlueTech Index-listed company) – AI for real-time water quality monitoring
• Frédéric Mittaine, CEO, Cosma (Ifremer-incubated startup) – Underwater drones for -benthic ecosystem mapping
• James Harrison, CEO, Blue Coast Carbon – Restoration of nature-based carbon sinks
• Reverse Pitch: Seydina Issa Laye Sambe, Mayor of Dakar/Yoff

2:40 – 3:00 | Closing and Ministerial Announcements

• French Ministry for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, the Sea and Fisheries

Access to La Baleine – UNOC 2025

To access La Baleine at UNOC, each guest must register individually via the official website:

👉 https://we-are-the-ocean.com/

Why is this registration required?

• It allows us to identify you as an official guest of La Baleine.
• It ensures your access to all events hosted in the space.
• It is separate from your UNOC accreditation (UNOC accreditation is still mandatory to enter the Blue Zone, but does not automatically grant access to La Baleine).

Steps to register:

1. Go to we-are-the-ocean.com
2. Click on the registration button
3. Fill in the form with your personal information
4. You will receive a confirmation email to present at the entrance

Important:

• Without registration via this website, access to La Baleine cannot be guaranteed.
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