Blue Economy

Blue-Economy: Our Future is Blue

Cockburn is deeply connected to our ocean, or the Derbal Nara, which has long been a source of food, trade and recreation for those who call these lands home.

The ocean is part of our local identity, and our gateway to the world. And it is this connection with the ocean that has helped Cockburn secure thousands of jobs, skills and opportunities, as we become a national capital of the ‘Blue Economy’.

The Blue Economy

A blue economy is one that embraces the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem.

Our coast is already home to a $15 billion cluster of marine infrastructure, stretching from the naval shipyards at the Australian Marine Complex, to the advanced industrial and commercial hubs at Henderson, Latitude 32, Jandakot, and Bibra Lake.

Given our rich heritage of marine engineering, the City is harnessing the passion of our world-leading marine industries, and investing in new research, ideas, businesses, and infrastructure to make Cockburn the centre of the region’s largest Blue Economy.

Blue Economy Advisory Group

Global and local companies focused on marine technologies and business solutions, including Subcon, Defence West, Austal, Civmec and Luerssen, are partnering with the City and the WA Government to help reach our development goals.
They are all part of a Blue Economy Advisory Group, which was developed by the City, to focus on the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth.

The Blue Economy Advisory Group will guide infrastructure investment, advise on appropriate land use outcomes, encourage new business activity, align training outcomes for future skills needs, and support science-based pursuits such as pollution reduction, data collection, and fisheries management.

Blue Economy Innovation Hub

In an Australian first, The City is also creating an advanced Innovation Hub for the blue economy to test and develop new marine practices and technologies that could help sustain vibrant blue economies across the globe.  
Our research forecasts an exponential growth in Cockburn’s defence sector over the next decade.  
  
Like many industries, there is a genuine skills gap within the defence sector, and it’s expected to grow as demand does. Without hubs like the one we’re proposing, this will only become a bigger issue.  

Joining us in the world-class Innovation Hub will be researchers collaborating across four major universities. Specialised registered training organisations will provide training and upskilling, while PhD students from UWA will deliver research opportunities and help bring products to market. Finally, equity investor group Perth Angels and not-for-profits Business Station and Business Foundations are also onboard with a focus on providing business advisory support.

Up to 40 Blue Economy businesses will be guided to bring their ideas into commercial reality, with access to services which will build capacity and capability.

As an advanced research hub for the Blue Economy, Cockburn will test and develop new marine practices and technology.
This Innovation Hub was designed to help the City of Cockburn grow local jobs, all of which will increase the wellbeing and quality of life for our communities.

Our Future is Blue

The City of Cockburn is supportive of a thriving Blue Economy to realise its potential.

A thriving Blue Economy in Cockburn will attract further public and private investment, resulting in the proliferation of support industries, training options, and quality employment opportunities to future-proof the local economy.

By harnessing the passion of our world-leading marine industries, connecting them with researchers and innovators, training our young people for future jobs, and investing in the necessary infrastructure to sustain growth, Cockburn is ready to take its place as a global leader of the Blue Economy.

Blue Economy Map