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#Collaborative Sustainability - We are on a mission to make coastal cities future proof and provide the best possible platform for ecosystemic shared value creation* among the stakeholders of the environmental transition.

Latest news

April 8 2026: Special guest Olivier Poivre d’Arvor announced!

Olivier Poivre d'Arvor is currently serving as France’s ambassador for the poles and maritime issues, representing the country in global discussions on ocean, environmental protection, and maritime governance. He previously led the Institut français and served as an ambassador in several countries. A recognized writer as well, his career combines literature, culture, and diplomacy to promote France’s international influence.

He recently co-authored the book "Quand l'océan s'éveillera" (When the ocean awakens) with Marina Levy and will be signing it on this occasion.

Join Olivier and many of us at the 2026 Forum

March 9 2026: Sea you at ChangeNow Summit in Paris on March 30-April 1!

As historical ChangeNow ally and partner, Waves of Change will be involved in two special workshops this year:

“Coastguard Cities" Workshop: Tackling Coastal & Urban Flooding Together

Monday March 30, 10am @ The Earth Room

Hosted by Waves of Change with Sponge Collaborative, EDHEC Climate Institute, Floodframe, and AXA Foundation for Human Progress, this event unites cities, experts, and innovators to confront flood risks and costs. Discover innovations, collaborative strategies, and financial tools for resilient coastal cities. Share insights, forge partnerships, and shape policies to protect communities & infrastructure from climate-driven flooding. Together, let’s build sustainable, flood-ready urban futures.

“Coastal Resilience: From Science to Solutions & Financing" Workshop

Tuesday March 31, 2pm @ The Blue Bubble

This workshop explores how to bolster coastal resilience against climate risks like sea-level rise and erosion, focusing on risk measurement, nature-based solutions, and innovative financing. It brings together researchers, financial institutions, and public actors to discuss practical strategies for protecting coastal infrastructure and economies. Key topics include risk assessment methodologies, hybrid protection solutions, and mobilizing public and private capital. The session features insights from EDHEC Climate Institute, Waves of Change, and financial sector leaders.

March 2 2026: Less than 70 spots left for startups to join the 2026 Tideline Startup Program, time is now!

Whether you have already applied to be part or not, join us on March 27 at 11:30am CET to ask any questions during our online info session and confirm whether it is among your best opportunities this year.

February 2 2026: The Tideline Startup Program has new ambitions and is looking for an additional strategic/operational co-lead!

Interested in applying your operational and strategic structuring skills to boost the program and benefit more startups, coastal territories, companies and funds? Have a look and join us!

January 14 2026: EDHEC Climate Institute and Waves of Change are pleased to announce the launch of a new partnership aimed at strengthening the ties between climate science and action for coastal territories.

This initiative will incorporate EDHEC Climate Institute’s research, methodology, and tools directly into projects initiated by Waves of Change’s Coastal Cities Impact Facility, which aims toinspire and support €500mn worth of coastal projects by 2035. In addition, Waves of Change’s Live Knowledge Hub will be leveraged to disseminate EDHEC Climate Institute case studies. It will also support the Coastal Capital Resilience Chair – co-created by the two organisations with key corporate partners in a true spirit of collaborative sustainability.

The partnership was officially announced during the Tideline Ecosystem Kick Off, an annual event organised by Waves of Change, on 14 January 2026 in Paris.

Through this partnership, EDHEC Climate Institute will contribute its academic and scientific expertise on climate risk assessment, with a particular focus on physical climate risks affecting coastal territories and infrastructure, and on translating climate science into actionable insights for decision-makers.

As part of this collaboration, EDHEC Climate Institute will be involved in Waves of Change’s flagship forum, to be held from 1-3 June 2026 in Biarritz. This event brings together a select group of stakeholders from startups, investors, corporations, NGOs, academia and the public sector. Its goal is to foster collaboration and collective intelligence around environmental transition and coastal resilience.

“Waves of Change has quickly become a dynamic, cross-disciplinary network with a strong impact-driven vision, fully aligned with our priorities. Together, we aim to turn applied research and business cases into concrete solutions to protect infrastructures and territories from climate risks - by mobilising all key actors, including financiers and insurers”.
-Camille Angué, Co-Director, EDHEC Climate Institute

“We believe deploying this novel partnership format together will further enable our common ambition to align applied research across the finance value chain and concrete ecosystem projects, while advancing Waves of Change’s mission to make coastal infrastructures and cities future proof. We are excited to be launching this joint venture with the EDHEC Climate Institute whose knowledge and expertise will be of tremendous value in our collaborations going forward.”
-Nicolas Occhiminuti, Waves of Change CEO & EDHEC Alumnus.

Forum’s Seventh Edition - Save the Date:

June 1-3 2026 in Biarritz, FR

In partnership with the French Government’s Ecolab on the topic of “AI, ocean and coastal territories”. A maximum of 200 participants representing startups, investors, corporations, NGOs, universities and public sector involved in the environmental transition gather for 3 days of collective intelligence and co-development workshops, shared takeaways, business dating and productive free time including surf networking, sites and facilities visits, remote working, etc. Read the announcement here.

About the Forum’s 2025 edition covered in French by Sud-Ouest:

Hear Waves of Change participants:

Mathilda D’Silva, Founder at Ocean Purpose Project.
Oliver Dauert, CEO and Founder at Wildya.
Lisa Devignol, Project Officer at the Ocean & Climate Platform.
Adrian Bührer, Co-Founder at Übermorgen Ventures.
Louise-Océane Delion, Marine Biologist Student & Co-Founder at Phoenix Expedition.
Philippe Souidi, Vice President SAP.iO at SAP.

In French:

Sophie Panonacle, Elected Representative (Députée) at the French Parliament.
Mathieu Kayser, Deputy Mayor in Charge of the Environment @ Ville de Biarritz.
Caroline Deforeit, CEO @ Steadysun.
Luc Metivier, Executive Chairman @ Agua de Sol.
Céline Crouzat, Sustainable Supply Chain Leader @ Decathlon.
Patrick Groff, COO @ Olenergies.
Marie Dollé, EuroQuity Manager @ Bpifrance.
Moubarack Lo, General Manager at Senegal’s Office of Economic Prospective & Mayor of Niomre, Senegal.
Pascal Goumault, Head of Partnerships & Sustainable Mobility Programs at Movin’ On / Michelin.
Anne-Sophie Roux, Founder at Tenaka.
Erwan Simon, Co-Founder at France Hydrodiversité.
Pierre Rousseau, Co-Founder at Nomad Plastic & Strategic Advisor for Sustainable Business at BNP Paribas.
Camille Couron, Project Manager at Women For Sea.
Martin Laurent, Bluebox Creator and Founder at Neographic Digital.
Marie Le Texier, Founder at Consultant’Seas.
Laurent Hequily, Founder at Okahina Wave.
Arnaud le Maout, Innovation Consultant at Credit Agricole Finistère.