East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is one of the highlights in Indonesian development programs, as well as other areas in eastern Indonesia. Some indicators show that NTT is lagged one step backward compared to others, whereas it has abundant natural resources. Supported by extensive waters and coastal areas, also strategic geographical conditions, NTT's marine should be the dominant sector that sustains the economy of NTT. Exploiting these opportunities aligned with the concept of blue economy, which turns the maritime sector into a key economic development basis, in addition to the preservation of nature. Accordingly, the concept of blue economy is very suitable to be developed in NTT. This study analyzed the topic using the combination of qualitative and quantitative method, namely LQ analysis, AHP analysis, literature review, and interview. The results indicate that the concept of blue economy significantly assist the economic development of NTT to create the sustainable economic development.

Type of Paper: Case Study

Keywords: blue economy; NTT Indonesia; economic development