The Kenyan coast is an economic engine: port, trade, tourism. A significant and largely untapped blue economy investment pipeline is now emerging alongside all of that.

As EDIC (Economic Development & Investment Council), we recently had a productive engagement with the Director General and senior team at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), exploring practical areas where science, investment preparation and private sector participation can come together. The discussion touched on a few promising opportunities: mariculture, hatcheries, fish feed, seaweed value addition, marine biotechnology, blue carbon, fisheries cold-chain, seawater greenhouses and nature-based infrastructure for coastal resilience. What stood out clearly is that the Kenyan coast already has strong technical knowledge, research infrastructure and community-linked models.

The opportunity now is to translate some of these into bankable projects, partnerships and investment-ready concepts. This is especially timely as Kenya prepares to host the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa and Kilifi this June: a major moment to position the coast as a hub for sustainable blue economy investment. At EDIC, our role is to work with counties, technical institutions, investors and development partners to identify, structure and advance practical investment opportunities across Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale. Anyone looking at the Kenyan coast; including around the blue economy space is welcome to reach out. There is a lot of work to be done, and a lot of opportunity to unlock.