The blue economy is changing rapidly. Traditional activities such as transport, fishing and shipbuilding still employ over 5 million people but the fastest growth is in activities and value chains that did not exist ten years ago – renewable energy, biotechnology, biorefinery etc. The session will provide an overview on investment gaps and opportunities in the blue economy and financial sources available, with a particular focus on financial instruments. It will also present a new DG MARE initiative (‘BlueInvest platform’) to facilitate access to investment readiness support and investment to blue growth SMEs and start-ups. More information on the event here: http://www.searica.eu/en/events/conferences/banking-on-the-blue-economy-how-to-accelerate-impact-oriented-investments-in-blue-growth