Preparing a Workforce for the New Blue Economy: Chapter 1 - Exploration and technology—key building blocks for the new blue economy

The blue economy of the future will be heavily dependent on national investments in ocean sciences, ocean-related technologies, and intelligent national policy creation about the national interest in the world ocean.

The scope of this chapter is concerned with the historic roles of exploration and ocean engineering that are essential for the new blue economy. Detailed economic, cultural, and ocean policy issues inherent in its development will be covered in subsequent chapters (especially Programs That Deliver Section XX).

While the emphasis here is on the experience of the United States, the world’s leading maritime power, the generic issues presented can apply to almost all of the world’s 195 nations.