AltaSea and World Trade Center Barcelona Sign Letter of Understanding to Advance Global Blue Tech Innovation

LOS ANGELES & BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, the world’s leading destination for the Blue Economy, today announced that it has signed a Letter of Understanding (LOU) with World Trade Center Barcelona (WTCB) and its blue economy innovation hub, BlueTechPort, to promote blue tech innovation in both Barcelona and Los Angeles. The non-binding agreement establishes a strategic partnership focused on accelerating ocean-based climate solutions, strengthening blue economy ecosystems, and creating new opportunities for innovators, students, and communities.

The partnership will prioritize connecting blue economy stakeholders in Barcelona and Los Angeles – including startups, researchers, investors, workforce partners, and public institutions – with the shared goal of advancing solutions and driving sustainable economic growth.

“Los Angeles and Barcelona are two of the world’s great port cities, and both are proving that the blue economy can be a powerful engine for solutions, good jobs, and economic prosperity,” said AltaSea COO and Founder Jenny Krusoe. “This partnership with WTC Barcelona and BlueTechPort effectively builds a bridge for innovation, providing entrepreneurs and researchers alike with new opportunities to pilot technologies, share knowledge, and scale solutions to help sustain our oceans.”

Opened in 1999, WTCB is an expansive business park located on the waterfront in Barcelona. Earlier this month, the Port of Barcelona and WTCB broke ground on the construction of BlueTechPort, which will transform historic warehouses at the Sant Bertran dock into a new blue economy innovation space.

“BlueTechPort is designed to be a meeting place for generating collaborations and synergies within the blue economy, much like AltaSea has created in Los Angeles,” said WTCB General Manager Carles Anglada. “We see tremendous value in connecting our growing ecosystem to AltaSea’s world-class campus to create a bicontinental partnership to help companies, researchers, and students in both cities test new ideas, access international markets, and further enrich each innovative ecosystem.”

Under the LOU, AltaSea and BlueTechPort will collaborate across several key initiatives, including:

• Sharing best practices for public policy, community engagement, and business development;
• Exchanging insights on working with emerging companies in accelerator programs, as well as with workforce and higher education partners in both regions;
• Highlighting blue economy initiatives in Barcelona and Los Angeles;
• Coordinating around key conferences, including Braid Theory’s IGNITE22 in Los Angeles, to spotlight innovation at both ports and attract global stakeholders; and
• Exploring the creation of a pilot project exchange program to accelerate technology transfer.

The partners will meet quarterly to review progress, align on joint initiatives, and identify new opportunities to deepen collaboration. The LOU does not create financial obligations for either party unless separately agreed in writing.

"In 2024, we established Braid Theory's Barcelona office to grow our accelerator and global landing pad programs. We are proud to be a leading partner of BlueTechPort and AltaSea to explore synergies and accelerate real-world ocean solutions.” said Ann Carpenter, CEO of Braid Theory.

Now in its 11^th year, AltaSea has developed a 35-acre ocean technology campus that is home to many innovative climate solutions focused on the ocean in a variety of industries, including aquaculture, carbon capture, renewable energy, and ocean exploration. AltaSea also partners with high schools, colleges, and universities to provide educational experiences for the next generation of climate scientists and innovators.

About AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles

AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, located on 35 acres at North America’s leading seaport by both container volume and cargo value, is an ocean technology campus that has become the hub for marine science, research, and education. AltaSea has 27 tenants exclusively focused on ocean innovation and research collaborations with numerous colleges and universities, including USC and UCLA – all finding solutions to climate change through the ocean. AltaSea is dedicated to accelerating scientific collaboration, advancing an emerging blue economy through business innovation and job creation, and inspiring the next generation, all for a more sustainable, just, and equitable world.

For more information on AltaSea, please visit: https://altasea.org.