From Shoreline to Skyline: Peter Robbins on the Rise of the Floating Economy

When you think of the future, do you picture space—or water?

In this eye-opening episode, Jackie De Burca speaks with Peter Robbins, one of the world’s leading voices on the floating economy. From delivering fresh meals via jet skis to developing mega-scale coastal innovation projects in Korea and the US, Peter is building a blueprint for what he calls the next “mega-trend”: the floating economy.

More than a futuristic fantasy, this is a global movement gaining momentum across industries like logistics, hospitality, port infrastructure, energy, and even education. Learn how floating solutions are solving everything from workforce shortages to population crises, and how ports are being reimagined as launchpads—not limits.

Whether you're a policymaker, investor, engineer or just curious about where cities are headed, this episode dives deep into the possibilities of our water-bound future.

“We’re not just building floating solutions. We’re building the workforce, the policy awareness, and the investment appetite to support a floating future.” Peter Robbins

What You Will Learn In This Episode

The distinction between the floating economy and the blue/ocean economy

Why nearshore logistics could transform coastal commerce

How floating housing could solve affordability and flood resilience

Case studies: Busan, Rotterdam, Brisbane, and beyond

The urgent need to build a water-based workforce—starting in schools

How the private sector, governments, and NGOs can work together to scale floating infrastructure

Constructive Voices is an award-winning global platform that aims to break down silos in the built environment to accelerate positive change.

Through global conversations with change-makers, we inform our audience about some of the most important concepts and solutions of today.

The Constructive Voices team investigates topics such as green building, biodiversity, renewable energy, nature-positive solutions, AI, resilient building and more.

Hosts to date have included Jackie De Burca, Henry McDonald, Peter Finn, Steve Randall, Emma Nicholson and Sarah Austin.

Our vision is to partner with as many companies and individuals as possible to feature the positive work that they are doing. Making Constructive Voices the Go-To resource for global information and ideas on positive methods for a more sustainable built environment and world.

Our team is dedicated to exploring and promoting sustainability, biodiversity and innovation.

We talk to world-renowned experts, local people, businesses and students in our quest to document and inspire positive, historic changes required for these challenging times.

• No. of episodes: 100
• Latest episode: 2025-06-30
• Business

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