David Sussmann is a passionate entrepreneur, one who encourages people to get involved. "People who want to change the world find it easy to find help and people to talk to", he explains. And he knows all about it, having launched Pure Ocean 7 years ago. "We are the NGO for businesses and entrepreneurs, with a modus operandi that resembles that of a company". Its No. 1 objective? To help preserve the ocean. To achieve this, Pure Ocean funds research and innovation programmes. "In concrete terms, we raise more than a million euros a year thanks to loyal sponsors and partners, such as Arkéa".

Concrete and measurable actions

This financial windfall enables them to fund research programmes. To be eligible, the selection process is drastic: only five or six projects are supported each year. "The idea is that it should be very concrete, that it should be applied research. We have introduced performance indicators, and we ask for a return on investment 36 months later. These must be concrete, measurable actions that really help to advance research".

In this respect, there is much to be pleased about. There's the project off the coast of Barcelona, which demonstrated that sea sponges were capable of absorbing and degrading microplastic, raising great hopes for tackling plastic pollution. Several current projects are based in Brittany, including the Plastidrugs project, which studies the interactions between microplastics and emerging pollutants, and their cocktail effects. Pure Ocean has also supported a programme to help recreate life and biodiversity in a protected marine area in the Philippines. This project is the subject of a documentary.

Arkéa, the most committed bank

Pure Ocean and Arkéa have been working closely together for the past four years, taking a wide range of initiatives. "We have organised conferences, created a fresco for the climate, and taken part in beach collections with bank employees, their families and scientists," explains David Sussmann. The link between the two entities doesn't stop there: Arkéa has made two of its managers available, in what it calls "skills sponsorship". "This opens up a whole new world of possibilities and allows us to change our approach, which is particularly rewarding," he says.

At Arkéa, Pure Ocean's message is a powerful one. When it comes to protecting the ocean and the blue economy, it's clearly the most committed bank," agrees David Sussmann. Its aim is to be a role model for its employees and customers, to be a major player in the ecological transition and to help change the world for future generations".