How Media Relations Can Reinvent France’s Maritime Narrative and Rebuild a Shared Imagination

In a region where the sea is everywhere but rarely told, media relations can transform visibility into collective pride.

I grew up in the Alpes-Maritimes, facing the sea without truly seeing it. In the South, we live next to the water, rarely with it.We enjoy the climate, we swim in it in summer… but few people actually sail on it, work with it, or make it thrive. For a long time, I believed that the Mediterranean maritime economy — embodied by Marseille and Toulon — was less significant than that of the Atlantic.

France’s leading maritime region… yet still little-known

And yet, the numbers are clear. Since 2016, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region has officially been France’s leading maritime region, with more than 120,000 jobs directly linked to the sea.The Marseille–Aubagne area alone accounts for nearly half of these jobs, driven by the major seaport and shipping companies such as CMA CGM.

And still, the general public remains largely unaware of the scale of this blue economy.This is, in my view, one of France’s biggest paradoxes: we have the second largest maritime area in the world, enormous potential, yet almost no shared narrative.

In 2025, only 3 percent of young French people say they would consider a maritime career, according to the Ministry of Ecology. A figure that illustrates the sector’s low attractiveness among new generations.

A paradox, considering that one of France’s most beloved manga series, One Piece, celebrates the freedom of the seas, the spirit of crew life, and maritime adventure. The marine imagination fascinates… but is no longer embodied in our reality.

When maritime innovation is told

The Pôle Mer Méditerranée plays a central role in shaping the maritime economy in the PACA region — just as other clusters do in other French territories — and in developing this imagination. It supports companies in upskilling, mapping jobs, and promoting training.

But beyond infrastructure and industry, much of the maritime transformation lies in our ability to tell the story of innovation.Some projects have understood this perfectly: Energy Observer, the autonomous hydrogen-powered vessel, is a flagship example. A true floating media laboratory, it has made more than 100 stops in seven years, becoming a global icon of the energy transition. Each stop, each report, reinforces the idea that a maritime project is not just a technical achievement: it is a collective story in motion.

Neoline, and a rediscovered national pride

Other projects show that maritime storytelling can also reignite national pride.

The Neoline sail-powered cargo ship proved it: its launch flooded the media, sparking a rare sense of shared enthusiasm. Suddenly, France rediscovered a maritime sector that is innovative, sustainable, and bold — almost “solarpunk ahead of its time,” where ecology, performance, and elegance meet.

When the press embraces an inspiring story, it does more than inform.It rekindles a flame.

Media relations as a driver of pride and growth

For the French maritime sector, media relations are far more than a visibility tool.They give meaning, structure, and voice to an entire ecosystem. They translate technical complexity into accessible stories, turn innovations into symbols, and transform projects into sources of collective pride.

Every piece of media coverage doesn’t just create awareness:it builds investor confidence, attracts talent, and adds credibility to initiatives.Story by story, it forges a shared identity for a sector that remains too fragmented.

This is where PR becomes more than a tool:it becomes a long-term engine of recognition and attractiveness for France’s blue economy.

Setting a course…

Today, maritime PR mostly targets decision-makers and rarely the general public.It highlights innovation, infrastructure, investments… but too rarely human stories, symbols, and emotion. However, without a collective imagination built around inspiring projects and unifying narratives, it remains difficult to recruit, innovate, or attract talent.

The challenge is not just to communicate, but to tell a different story:to show the sea as a space of opportunity, pride, and shared meaning.

Only then can the maritime world reclaim its place as a true cultural and economic force.

Perhaps the real question is this : Is the maritime sector ready to turn imagination into a genuine driver of sustainable growth?