#OurOceanWealth - Professional services giant PwC has announced a new three-year headline sponsorship of the Our Ocean Wealth Summit, the fourth of which takes place in Galway next month.
The one-day summit on Friday 30 June at NUI Galway coincides with Ireland’s national maritime festival SeaFest 2017 in the City of the Tribes.
Speaking at the partnership announcement, PwC advisory partner Declan McDonald said: “Having worked with the Irish Marine Development Office for a number of years, we are delighted to formalise our partnership with them and assist the Marine Development Team and the broader Marine Institute to continue the great work they are doing in achieving the ambitions set out in Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth.
“Our seas are a vital national asset and very important to Ireland's future economic success, and the Our Ocean Wealth Summit provides a unique platform for the opportunities of our blue economy to be brought to the fore.”
McDonald added: “The opportunities for the blue economy do not come without challenges, both immediate in terms of the potential economic impact of Brexit on our ports and fisheries, but also in the longer term in terms of sustainable development and protection of our sensitive marine environment.
“We look forward to overcoming these challenges with Peter and the team in the Marine Institute bringing both local and global marine sector expertise from around the PwC network."
Marine Institute chief executive Dr Peter Heffernan said: “Ireland's marine sector has enormous potential for growth and our ambition is to be at the forefront globally as a leader in both traditional and emerging marine activities.
“PwC's support, as an internationally recognised leader in professional services, reaffirms this ambition and we look forward to working closely together to realise the potential of Ireland's marine economy.”
Renowned innovation expert Tom Kelley was confirmed in March to speak at the fourth Our Ocean Wealth Summit, which will also feature economist, writer and broadcaster David McWilliams; Miguel Marques, partner at PwC Portugal and Economist of the Sea; Terry Garcia, former vice president of National Geographic and CEO of Exploration Ventures; and many more.
