In 2017, the Floating City Project in French Polynesia gained a lot of momentum when The Seasteading Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the government of French Polynesia. Our partners in the seasteading community formed Blue Frontiers to develop the project.
During the election that year, a small minority of French Polynesians spread misinformation about the project to discredit the President, Édouard Fritch. Despite the apparent opposition, the President easily won re-election. Unfortunately, the political fighting did cause the Floating Island Project to be postponed indefinitely. A major crash in cryptocurrency that year did not help. Remaining funds for the project were returned.
We at The Seasteading Institute certainly know how risky it is to place one’s hope in the political process. While this particular project was not completed, we gained many supporters and connections who are working on related seasteading projects in other locations.
Significant Events during the project
Phase I
December 2013
- Crowdfunding a floating city design
- Surveying potential customers
- Exploring floating city designs
- Honing the location
Phase II
December 2014
- Enhancing our novel seastead designs, which includes wave tank testing and acquiring more detailed financial calculations
- Deepening our diplomatic negotiations with several potential host nations
- Collecting potential resident feedback
- Prospecting investors.
Phase III: French Polynesia
January 2017
Blue Frontiers Founded
January 2017
Tahiti Gathering
May 2017
