Alentejo has identified the following challenges:

• Cultural and creative industry: Promoting eco-sustainable tourism by shifting from mass tourism to community-based coastal experiences, investing in digital transformation, sustainable mobility, and the preservation of maritime culture, with a focus on natural reserves like Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina.
• Bioeconomy – Agrofood: Aiming to protect biodiversity and enhance food security through sustainable aquaculture practices, the use of alternative proteins, biodegradable gear, and valorization of marine by-products, while addressing challenges such as IUU fishing and the environmental footprint of fisheries.
• Transport and logistics: Decarbonization through electrification of ports, green ship design, smart logistics, and alternative fuels, positioning the Port of Sines as a key blue innovation hub for digital and green transition.
• Energy: Advancing towards marine renewables—offshore wind, solar, wave energy, and green hydrogen—supported by infrastructure investments and aligned with national carbon neutrality goals

More details available soon! 🚀 

Albania has identified the following challenges:

• Bioeconomy & Agrofood: Enhancing sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices, addressing overfishing and climate-related marine habitat degradation through AI-driven fisheries monitoring systems, smart aquaculture technologies, and community-driven conservation initiatives.

• Energy: Focusing on marine-based energy production, particularly offshore wind and wave energy, with challenges related to high investment costs and infrastructure gaps. The country plans to develop advanced turbines, encourage public awareness, and establish policy incentives to drive investment in marine renewable energy.

• Cultural & Creative Industries: Promoting sustainable tourism models and mitigate over-tourism’s environmental impact by integrating smart visitor management, strengthening community engagement, and implementing governance reforms for eco-tourism.

More details available soon! 🚀

Greece has identified the following challenges:

• Bioeconomy-Agrofood: Enhancing biodiversity and carbon neutrality in aquaculture, promoting sustainable marine food systems, and fostering Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) to manage nutrient overload.
• Environment: Restoring marine biodiversity and tackle pollution by deploying advanced waste collection technologies and engaging communities in habitat restoration. ICT-Digital Transformation focuses on AI-based monitoring and IoT systems to enhance marine resource management, addressing data-sharing limitations.
• Digital transformation: Focusing on AI-based monitoring and IoT systems to enhance marine resource management, addressing data-sharing limitations.
• Public health: Targeting marine biotechnology for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, R&D and regulatory improvements.
• Energy: Centered on reducing emissions, enhancing efficiency, and integrating marine renewable energy through wave and wind energy development and cold ironing
• Social innovation: Regulatory alignment, investment in R&D, and fostering public-private collaboration

More details available soon! 🚀

Balearic Islands has identified the following challenges:

• Bioeconomy-Agrofood: Prioritizing biodiversity conservation, carbon neutrality, and the sustainable management of fisheries through Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), low-impact fishing practices, and economic incentives such as promoting high-quality local seafood.
• Energy sector: Focusing on achieving carbon neutrality by expanding offshore wind and solar farms, developing green fuels like hydrogen and wave energy, and fostering stakeholder collaboration to streamline implementation.
• Cultural & creative industries: Seeking to balance economic growth and conservation by promoting eco-friendly tourism, digital transformation in hospitality, and community-based sustainability initiatives

More details available soon! 🚀

Cyprus has identified the following challenges:

• Transports & logistics: Aiming to achieve carbon-neutral shipping and port operations through alternative fuels, smart logistics, and digitalization, while addressing challenges in infrastructure and regulatory frameworks.
• Bioeconomy-Agrofood: Targeting sustainable aquaculture and fisheries, with a focus on biodegradable gear, waste valorization, and ecosystem restoration.
• Energy: Expanding marine renewable energy and desalination technologies, addressing high investment costs and coordination challenges through pilot projects and EU funding opportunities.
• Cultural & creative industries: Promoting eco-tourism, sustainable visitor management, and digital transformation in hospitality, overcoming infrastructure gaps and low public awareness.
• Public health: Integrating marine-derived pharmaceuticals and biotechnologies into the circular economy, despite challenges in funding and regulatory alignment
• Social innovation: Including digitalization, stakeholder collaboration, targeted financing, and regulatory reforms, positioning Cyprus as a leader in sustainable blue economy innovation.

More details available soon! 🚀

Emilia-Romagna has identified the following challenges:

• Bioeconomy-Agrofood: Aiming to protect biodiversity and promote circular economy practices by enhancing sustainable aquaculture, fostering regenerative practices, and creating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Challenges include the lack of standardized guidelines and the need for improved utilization of local resources. Key actions involve supporting marine biotechnologies, collaboration between fishermen and research institutions, and regulatory improvements.
• Energy & shipbuilding: Seeking to the marine renewable energy transition, encourages offshore wind and solar energy adoption, and promotes sustainable shipbuilding. High implementation costs and fragmented supply chains remain challenges. Italy plans to integrate floating photovoltaics, develop supply chains for marine energy infrastructure, and leverage decommissioned offshore platforms for renewable energy projects
• Cultural & creative industries: Prioritizing eco-tourism and marine conservation, aiming to enhance stakeholder collaboration, digital transformation, and risk management in coastal areas. Key interventions include digital platforms for monitoring, community-based eco-tourism models, and financial incentives for sustainable tourism projects.

More details available soon! 🚀

Occitanie & Sud PACA regions has identified water management in ports 💧 as the main challenge, including:

• Water quality monitoring and control ;
• Collection and treatment of wastewater from ships and ports;
• Reuse of treated water;
• Freshwater production technologies;
• Digital solutions and integrated management tools to improve decision-making processes.

This call is open to all entities proposing solutions to the challenge identified, in particular:

• Private companies (SMEs, large companies)
• Public institutions
• Research organisations
• Associations and NGOs

The three solutions with the highest scores in the evaluation (at least one in Sud PACA and one in Occitanie) will receive tailor-made support. This support may include

• Market analysis and definition of commercial strategies (business plan, marketing strategy, financial management) ;
• Regulatory compliance and legal aspects (environmental regulations, compliance (e.g. water law dossier), intellectual property);
• Development of strategic partnerships with key players in the maritime sector, in particular ports and port authorities;
• Support in obtaining specific environmental and industrial certifications or labels.

More details available soon! 🚀

Zadar County has identified the following challenges:

• Bioeconomy-Agrofood: Seeking to enhance sustainable aquaculture, reduce waste, and develop biodegradable gear to minimize environmental impact, addressing Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing through regulatory improvements and R&D investment
• Transport & logistics: Focusing on decarbonizing ports and shipping through alternative fuels, smart logistics, and electrified port infrastructure, with the goal of positioning Croatia as a leader in low-emission maritime transport. 
• Digital transformation: Prioritizing AI and IoT applications for real-time marine monitoring, data-sharing frameworks, and citizen science engagement.
• Environment: Centered on marine ecosystem restoration, habitat protection, and pollution prevention, leveraging drones and AI technologies for marine monitoring.
• Social innovation: Promoting eco-tourism, enhance digital tourism platforms, and encourage community-driven conservation efforts, incorporating green certifications and environmental stewardship models.

More details available soon! 🚀