WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao’s sea could become a much larger part of the island’s economic development strategy as international investors increasingly look beyond traditional maritime activities toward renewable energy, biotechnology, digital infrastructure and other emerging ocean industries.
The issue gained renewed international attention on September 9, when UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) held a session titled “The Ocean Economy and Future Investment” at the Xiamen International Expo Centre in China. The meeting formed part of UNCTAD’s 2026 Future Investment Conference.
UNCTAD described the ocean economy as evolving beyond traditional resource extraction and shipping routes into an integrated industrial system involving marine renewable energy, marine equipment manufacturing, ports and shipping logistics, marine biotechnology and digital infrastructure. Technological advances, changes in global supply chains and the energy transition are helping drive that transformation.
The discussion in Xiamen focused not only on where investors could generate returns, but also on the limits that should accompany investment. UNCTAD identified ecological carrying capacity, shipping safety and the sharing of economic benefits among the central considerations as capital moves into ocean industries. Blue finance — financing linked to sustainable use and protection of marine resources — was another major part of the discussion.
For Curaçao, the development could be particularly relevant because the island already has a maritime economy but generally approaches individual activities such as tourism, shipping, port services, fisheries and coastal development separately.
A broader ocean-economy strategy could examine how existing assets — including Curaçao’s harbor, maritime location, international connectivity and technical knowledge — could support additional industries.
Potential areas for study include maritime maintenance and repair, marine research, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, renewable energy, subsea digital infrastructure, coastal protection and marine biotechnology. Not all of these sectors would necessarily be technically, environmentally or financially suitable for Curaçao, making further research essential before investment decisions are made.
UNCTAD’s wider investment message is that developing economies should increasingly consider which strategic industries they want to develop rather than simply seeking more investment in general. At the Xiamen conference, Acting Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno said investment can strengthen countries’ productive capacity, access to technology and ability to enter new markets when directed strategically.
For Curaçao, an initial step could therefore be an inventory of the existing ocean economy: how much it contributes to economic activity and employment, which marine ecosystems require additional protection, what expertise already exists locally and where the island has realistic competitive advantages.
Such an assessment could eventually provide the basis for a national ocean-economy strategy with a limited number of investment priorities.
The challenge would be balancing development with environmental protection. Fisheries, tourism, shipping, nature conservation, coastal communities and future investors can compete for the same marine space. Developing new industries without clear spatial planning, environmental standards and transparent permitting could therefore create economic and ecological conflicts.
The international discussion nevertheless suggests that islands such as Curaçao may need to reconsider what constitutes economically productive territory. Future growth opportunities may be found not only on Curaçao’s increasingly valuable land, but also in the waters surrounding it.