This year, Digital Campus Bordeaux chose to explore the theme of digital technology in the service of ocean protection for the 6th edition of Draw Me a Digital Career. A roundtable format, facilitated by David Fontanier, brought together experts to discuss how digital technology intersects with their work. With us that evening: Yann Leymarie, Aquitaine Bureau Manager & Gironde Education Officer at Surfrider; Alexandre Dechelotte, co-founder of Plastic Odyssey; Maël Prudhomme, founder of Ekosea; Aurélie Dehouck, president and founder of i-Sea; Aymeric Jouon, founder of I clean my sea; and Norbert Fradin, founder of the Musée Mer Marine.
All driven by a commitment to preserving the integrity of our oceans and raising public awareness from an early age, our experts shared how they express that commitment through their professional work.
What emerged was a picture of innovative projects where digital technology plays a central role — whether as a simple communication channel or as a genuine technological tool. And even if most of our experts acknowledge not being fully at home in the digital world, they have nonetheless adapted to its codes and tools out of necessity and desire, sometimes even bringing in professionals to support them.
We were introduced to impressive projects such as the startups i-Sea and I clean my sea, where technology meets digital through a system for analysing and geolocating waste at sea. With Plastic Odyssey, Alexandre Dechelotte is betting on giving plastic waste a second life by converting it into fuel — a process he plans to promote by sailing a 25-metre catamaran powered by plastic energy around the world. Taking a more educational approach, the Musée Mer Marine developed an interactive tablet-based museum tour for children — a wonderful way to connect with younger audiences. Those further ahead in their digital use are not shy about storming social media, as Surfrider demonstrated by partnering with a communications agency to run an awareness campaign on the state of our beaches via Instagram.
That said, just because digital technology is omnipresent in our daily lives does not mean we should overlook face-to-face encounters and genuine connection, as Maël Prudhomme pointed out — he does not hesitate to cross oceans to meet the project leaders he supports on his crowdfunding platform Ekosea. "People remain at the heart of everything; if we don't act with nature, nature will act without us." One thing is certain: the world is resolutely connected. Whatever the nature of the projects that emerge, the importance of digital in our current ways of working cannot be denied — whether for communicating with audiences, building brand awareness, securing funding, strengthening existing technical tools, or helping to protect our natural environment. A roundtable that perfectly illustrated the connections to be made between new technologies and eco-responsibility — a cause we too are committed to!
A big thank you to our experts for sharing their experiences. Watch the replay of the event on the Digital Campus Bordeaux page.