Global ocean technology conference hosted by URI – Graduate School of Oceanography – The University of Rhode Island

Report on the Marine Technology Society TechSurge Conference

Executive Summary

On November 20, 2025, the University of Rhode Island (URI) and Rhode Island Sea Grant hosted the Marine Technology Society’s annual TechSurge conference at the Graduate School of Oceanography. The event convened approximately 120 international attendees to address fisheries and benthic monitoring in the context of offshore development. The conference directly supported several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on the intersection of marine technology, environmental stewardship, and sustainable economic growth.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The conference proceedings and objectives demonstrated a strong commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with significant emphasis on the following goals:

1. SDG 14: Life Below Water
   • The central theme of “fisheries and benthic monitoring” directly addresses the need to conserve and sustainably use marine resources.
   • Discussions focused on leveraging advanced technology to minimize the ecological impact of offshore development, ensuring the health of marine ecosystems.
2. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • The conference highlighted the role of marine science in the development of offshore renewable energy projects, such as the Block Island Wind Farm, in which URI played a foundational scientific role.
   • This focus supports the global transition to sustainable energy sources derived from oceanic environments.
3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • URI President Marc Parlange noted the significant investment in building a “capable workforce” for the ocean technology sector.
   • The event facilitated connections between students and industry professionals, promoting career pathways and job creation tied to the sustainable use of marine resources.
4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • The conference served as a platform for showcasing innovation in ocean technology, featuring lectures, workshops, and tours of advanced laboratories and partner startup businesses.
   • It fostered collaboration aimed at building resilient and sustainable marine infrastructure.
5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The event itself was a multi-stakeholder partnership between academia (URI), a government-university program (Rhode Island Sea Grant), and an international professional society (Marine Technology Society).
   • It brought together researchers, industry experts, and students from around the world to collaborate on shared sustainability challenges.

Conference Proceedings and Outcomes

The three-day event provided a comprehensive platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration, contributing to sustainable ocean management.

• Activities: The agenda included expert lectures, technical workshops, networking events, and a “Tech Cafe” designed to foster student-industry connections.
• Key Contributions: Tracey Dalton, Rhode Island Sea Grant Director, emphasized the program’s commitment to ensuring that “the best science informs how coastal communities and states make decisions about marine and ocean resources.” This underscores the event’s role in promoting evidence-based policy for sustainable development.
• Institutional Impact: The conference was designated the 20th Ronald C. Baird Sea Grant Science Symposium, reinforcing Rhode Island Sea Grant’s mission to enhance environmental stewardship and the responsible use of marine resources for long-term economic development.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights several issues and initiatives that connect to multiple Sustainable Development Goals. The analysis identifies the following SDGs as relevant:

• SDG 4: Quality Education – The article is centered around an event at the University of Rhode Island (URI) and its Graduate School of Oceanography, involving students, researchers, and fostering student-industry connections.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – The article explicitly mentions URI’s role in the science that led to the development of the Block Island Wind Farm, the country’s first offshore wind farm.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – The conference and related initiatives focus on building a “capable workforce,” creating “jobs tied to marine environments,” and promoting “long-term economic development.”
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – The event’s focus on “ocean technology,” “startup businesses,” and “enhancing ocean technology” points directly to innovation and infrastructure development.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water – The core theme of the conference is “fisheries and benthic monitoring for offshore development,” which directly relates to the responsible use, management, and scientific understanding of marine resources and ecosystems.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The entire event is a collaborative effort between URI, Rhode Island Sea Grant, the Marine Technology Society, industry experts, and researchers, showcasing a multi-stakeholder partnership.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the activities and themes described, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
   • Explanation: The article mentions the existence of a “student chapter at URI for any student interested in developing skills and connections that will lead to a career” and a “Tech Cafe for fostering industry and student connections,” both of which are aimed at equipping students with relevant skills for the marine technology sector.
2. Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
   • Explanation: The article highlights URI’s foundational role in “the country’s first offshore wind farm, the Block Island Wind Farm,” which is a direct contribution to increasing the share of renewable energy.
3. Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation.
   • Explanation: The focus on “enhancing ocean technology,” supporting “startup businesses,” and improving how people access “food and jobs tied to marine environments” all contribute to economic productivity through technological innovation in the marine sector.
4. Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending.
   • Explanation: The article points to “significant investment in URI…towards enhancing ocean technology” and highlights “ocean technology laboratories.” The conference itself serves to advance scientific research and technological capabilities in the marine industry.
5. Target 14.a: Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries.
   • Explanation: The conference’s focus on “fisheries and benthic monitoring” and the mission of Rhode Island Sea Grant to ensure “the best science informs how coastal communities and states make decisions about marine and ocean resources” directly align with increasing scientific knowledge and research capacity for managing marine environments.
6. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
   • Explanation: The event is a clear example of a multi-stakeholder partnership, convening “approximately 120 attendees from around the world” and involving collaboration between academia (URI), a public-private program (Rhode Island Sea Grant), a professional society (Marine Technology Society), and industry.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article implies several qualitative and quantitative indicators that can measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Indicator for Target 4.4: The existence of a “student chapter” of the Marine Technology Society and the organization of a “Tech Cafe” to connect students with industry are concrete initiatives. The number of students participating in these programs could serve as a direct indicator of progress.
• Indicator for Target 7.2: The existence of the “Block Island Wind Farm” is a tangible indicator of installed renewable energy capacity.
• Indicator for Target 8.2 & 9.5: The “significant investment in URI” for ocean technology and the presence of “ocean technology laboratories and startup businesses that partner with URI” are indicators of investment in R&D and technological upgrading. The number of such startups and the amount of investment can be used as metrics.
• Indicator for Target 14.a: The conference itself, focused on “fisheries and benthic monitoring,” is an indicator of efforts to increase and disseminate scientific knowledge. The number of research papers, monitoring programs, or new technologies discussed or developed from such events can measure progress.
• Indicator for Target 17.17: The conference is a direct indicator of a functioning partnership. The number of attendees (“approximately 120”) and the diversity of their affiliations (academia, industry, research institutions from “around the world”) can be used to measure the scale and effectiveness of the partnership.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: web.uri.edu