With newly awarded federal funds, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth plans to study the marine science and technology economy on the South Coast with a goal of marketing that area as a “blue economy corridor.”  

The U.S. Economic Development Administration on Wednesday awarded the school a $600,000 grant to “bring together higher education and research institutions, businesses and civic organizations to collaborate on the continued growth of marine science and technology in the region.”  

“Our region’s economy has been driven by its proximity to the ocean for centuries. Now, with the nation’s top fishing port, an emerging offshore wind industry, and a growing marine technology sector, the potential for economic growth along Interstate 195 is great,” UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Robert Johnson said.  

The project aims to examine the “blue economy” on the South Coast, according to the university, including “supply chain inventory, workforce, higher education research, challenges to growth and exporting goods and other factors.” With a more complete understanding of the sector, the project would then market the region internationally as a hotbed of the marine sciences industry.  

“This grant will allow the SouthCoast to maximize the potential of its burgeoning Blue Economy and will spur growth in the region by strategic investment in the marine science sector,” Rep. William Keating of Bourne said. The SouthCoast Development Partnership based at UMass Dartmouth has also identified the development of the blue economy as one of its strategic priorities, UMass said.