Center for Ocean Policy & Economics

What Center for Ocean Policy & Economics does

The Center for Ocean Policy and Economics (COPE°) is a non-profit digital platform and strategic alliance created by Northeast Maritime Institute to advance policy, investment, and collaboration in maritime commerce, ocean science, and technology. It convenes leaders from academia, government, industry, and the nonprofit sector through 9 active working groups spanning 6 areas of influence (Maritime Trade & Commerce, Ocean Ecology, Innovation & Technology, Diplomacy & International Affairs, Energy & Sustainability, and Economic Development) and operates from offices in Fairhaven, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. The organization produces white papers, hosts webinars and the biweekly Maritime Matters podcast, runs the NEMO° free maritime training platform developed by its parent NMI, supports the Coasties Thriving Together program for Coast Guard veterans, and engages directly with international regulatory bodies including the International Maritime Organization and the Organization of American States CICTE.

COPE°'s core outputs are non-commercial: working group participation, publications, webinars, and NEMO° training courses are offered free of charge, and no products or services are sold. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on convening power, content authority, and formal alliances with shipping associations (BIMCO, InterManager, World Shipping Council), maritime law enforcement bodies (INTERPORTPOLICE), and intergovernmental organizations (IMO, OAS CICTE, APHoMSA). The organization is establishing the COPE° Fund as a $200,000,000 endowment intended to serve as a future funding mechanism for ocean science, technology, and engineering opportunities, positioning the entity to evolve from a convening platform into a capital allocator for the maritime sector.

Name

Center for Ocean Policy & Economics

Legal name

The Center for Ocean Policy and Economics

Website

https://thecope.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

COPE° is a non-profit digital platform and strategic alliance, created by Northeast Maritime Institute, that convenes academia, government, industry, and NGOs to advance maritime policy through working groups, white papers, webinars, free training (NEMO°), and a planned $200M endowment fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Policy Research and Advocacy

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Maritime policy research
• Ocean policy advocacy
• Seafarer rights advocacy
• Maritime training platform
• Ocean governance alliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairhaven

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Endowment and Fund Revenue: COPE° operates as an endowment fund and non-profit organization. The COPE° Fund is being established as a $200,000,000 fund to serve as a funding mechanism for ocean science, technology and engineering opportunities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

COPE° operates a digital platform and strategic alliance that convenes leaders from academia, government, industry, and the non-profit sector to advance maritime policy, ocean science, and ocean technology. Its core offerings include collaborative Working Groups focused on maritime safety, seafarer rights, and sustainability; the NEMO° free online maritime training platform; research publications and white papers; webinars; the Maritime Matters podcast; the Coasties Thriving Together support platform; and the COPE° Fund endowment.

Product overview

The Center for Ocean Policy and Economics (COPE°) operates as a digital platform and strategic alliance advancing policy, investment, and collaboration in maritime commerce, ocean science, and technology. Created by Northeast Maritime Institute, COPE° brings together leaders from academia, government, industry, and the nonprofit sector. The organization's portfolio includes Working Groups focused on maritime safety, seafarer rights, psychological safety, trade facilitation, and marine debris; white papers and publications including the notable white paper on protecting seafarer human rights; webinar series on maritime topics; the NEMO° digital learning platform offering free maritime training courses; the Coasties Thriving Together support platform; the Maritime Matters Podcast; and the COPE° Fund, a $200 million endowment for ocean science and technology opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Northeast Maritime Institute: The parent organization that created COPE° - a private maritime college offering Maritime Science degrees and continuing education

Products and services

• NEMO° Platform A free digital learning platform offering online maritime training courses including VTS Essentials, PSSR (Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities) courses, and psychological safety training for mariners globally. Developed by parent Northeast Maritime Institute.
• White Papers and Research Publications Research publications including the white paper "Protecting the Human Rights of Seafarers Facing Adverse Conditions and Criminalization in the Maritime Industry," articles on IMO Net-Zero Framework impacts, Arctic partnerships, and professional mariner perspectives on ocean policy, used for stakeholder engagement and policy advocacy.
• Webinar Series Free online seminar series addressing maritime topics including seafarer criminalization, navigation risks, and policy initiatives. Sessions feature expert panels and are offered free to attendees globally.
• COPE° Working Groups Collaborative groups focusing on maritime safety, seafarer rights, psychological safety, trade facilitation, and policy development, including groups on Maritime Safety & Security, Psychological Safety & SASH, Peace & Justice, Trade Facilitation and Sustainability, Marine Debris and Entanglement, Fishing Safety Regulatory Framework, Accident Reporting and Investigations, and Safety Aloft and Overside.
• Coasties Thriving Together An independent action team providing a secure online platform for Coast Guard veterans who are survivors of military sexual and physical trauma, offering resource sharing and community support.
• Maritime Matters Podcast

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 active working groups addressing critical maritime issues
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northeast Maritime InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization that created COPE°. NMI is the first private maritime college in US history, offering Maritime Science degrees and digital learning programs. COPE° serves as NMI's policy and economics research arm.
• BIMCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational shipping association partnering on maritime safety and security initiatives. BIMCO's Head of Maritime Safety & Security participates in COPE° working groups and events.
• InterManagercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational trade association for ship and crew management sector. Secretary General Capt. Kuba Szymanski serves as co-chair of COPE° Working Group on Maritime Safety and Security.
• Organization of American States CICTEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInter-American Committee against Terrorism of OAS. COPE° works with CICTE on maritime security capacity-building programs for American countries, including National Maritime Security Strategies.
• International Organization of Airport and Seaport PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINTERPORTPOLICE collaborated with COPE° on Houston seminar addressing drug smuggling in maritime industry, focusing on law enforcement and trade collaboration.
• World Shipping CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry organization partnering on maritime security initiatives including drug smuggling seminars and policy discussions.
• International Maritime OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN body for maritime safety. COPE° makes submissions to IMO sub-committees on training provisions and seafarer protections, and participates in symposia on seafarer criminalization.
• Commonwealth of Dominica Maritime RegistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational ship registry created by Northeast Maritime Institute. Submitted papers to IMO on PSSR training improvements on behalf of COPE° network.
• Asia-Pacific Heads of Maritime Safety AgenciesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCO PE° attended as observer to 23rd APHoMSA forum in Sydney, presenting papers on psychological safety in maritime sector to 26 represented countries.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ocean Conservancy: US-based ocean advocacy non-profit producing research and policy outputs on ocean health, shipping impacts, and marine debris. Comparable to COPE°'s Ocean Ecology and Marine Debris & Entanglement working group.
• World Ocean Council: International industry alliance focused on responsible ocean stewardship and cross-sector collaboration. Directly comparable to COPE°'s multi-stakeholder convening model around ocean economy and policy.
• World Maritime University: UNESCO-founded graduate maritime university producing maritime policy research and capacity-building programs. Comparable to COPE° in blending maritime education, research publication, and policy advocacy.
• The Mission to Seafarers: Long-standing international charity serving seafarer welfare and advocacy. Comparable in mission (seafarer rights and welfare) and in operating through a global network of port-based chaplains and advocates.
• International Maritime Health Association: Professional association of maritime health practitioners focused on seafarer physical and mental health research and standards. Comparable to COPE°'s Psychological Safety/SASH working group and its submissions on psychological safety training.
• Sustainable Shipping Initiative: Multi-stakeholder initiative of shipping companies working on decarbonization and sustainable maritime operations. Closely comparable to COPE°'s Trade Facilitation & Sustainability and Energy & Sustainability areas of influence.
• International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN): International charity focused on improving the welfare and wellbeing of seafarers worldwide. Highly comparable to COPE°'s seafarer-rights and Peace & Justice working group focus on criminalization, welfare, and protection.

Broad incumbents

• International Chamber of Shipping: Principal international trade association for the global shipping industry, representing merchant shipowners and operators at IMO and other regulatory forums. Overlaps with COPE°'s policy engagement scope but operates at much larger industry-representative scale.

Regional players

• Maritime UK: UK maritime industry council promoting policy, skills, and investment in the maritime economy. Comparable in maritime policy advocacy and convening function, but focused on the UK.
• Northwest Maritime Forum: US Pacific Northwest maritime cluster advocating for maritime policy and industry collaboration. Comparable to COPE°'s convening model for maritime stakeholders but constrained to a regional footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLmMPJeIomaucuVP58FtbZ7RdTZI2pwctd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-ocean-policy-economics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Ocean Policy & Economics