From November 5–8, 2024, the ECOMONDO Fair in Rimini hosted the Regional Strategic Forum on the Blue Economy, an initiative to advancing sustainable practices in the blue economy. The Forum operates as a key implementation tool for the Interreg Euro-MED BLUE ECOSYSTEM project, fostering collaboration among regional stakeholders and aligning efforts in research, innovation, and policymaking.
A Hub for Regional Collaboration
The Regional Strategic Forum is an inclusive platform that brings together stakeholders from the Emilia-Romagna region’s research and innovation ecosystem. It focuses on the blue economy, promoting continuous cooperation to advance innovation and policy. The Forum aligns its efforts with the Smart Specialization Strategy (S3) 2021–2027.
Several discussions were organized around three innovation areas:
- Blue Bioeconomy: Topics include marine biotic resources, blue biotechnology, and measures to combat pollution caused by human activity.
- Marine Manufacturing: This area focuses on renewable marine energy, sustainable shipbuilding, marine robotics, and exploring marine abiotic resources.
- Coastal Zone and Tourism 2.0: Emphasis is placed on coastal and maritime sustainability, tourism innovation, and balancing economic and ecological priorities.
The co-design and co-creation approaches were at the core of the Forum’s methodology, with three sessions held over the event’s first three days. Stakeholders from the Quintuple Helix model—including industry, academia, civil society, regional authorities, and environmental associations—worked together to:
- Identify regional challenges and define priority actions.
- Propose innovative solutions to promote sustainable practices.
- Expand participation and increase awareness of blue economy opportunities.
The co-design model featured structured discussions based on an initial Starting Paper, guided by key questions addressing areas such as:
- Context
- Problem definition
- Background
- Identification of limits
- Challenges to be faced
- Priority actions to be implemented
- Identification of stakeholders and roles
- Resources to be found
DAY 1: Marine Manufacturing
Challenges
- support and development of Offshore Wind Farms in Emilia-Romagna;
- support floating photovoltaic development;
- develop research on wave energy technologies;
- develop research and innovation on the circularity of boat materials;
- climate change issues: predict long term changes;
- develop research on hybrid engines, innovative hull configurations and alternative fuels;
- implementation of research for anchoring and installation;
- clarify the definition of EU/NRP calls for blue economy;
- train experts and professionals capable of increasing and efficiently managing the blue economy sector in Emilia-Romagna Region
- engage both citizens and fishermen in initiatives related to the Offshore Wind Farms in Romagna;
- define guarantees for fishermen to operate within the offshore installations; -reduce
underwater noise in order to reduce acoustic disturbance for marine species migration, reproduction and orientation; - involve business terminalists, hoteliers, lifeguards, associations of hoteliers;
- convert existing offshore facilities (for example, disused platforms) to use as research and monitoring centers.
Priority actions
- develop training programs with professionals from diverse sectors;
- create a supply chain for offshore infrastructure: from materials, to design;
- simplify the bureaucratic processes to reduce time;
- create coastal urban infrastructure that can exploit marine energy;
- finalize the planning of the maritime space on which sector planning is based implement the ZLS (simplified logistics zone);
- define a clear direction for the operators of the Ports;
- convert the regasification plant structures into research studies to develop a center that will generate wave energy;
- use offshore facilities as a research and innovation outpost;
- use the coastal defense structures as artificial reefs to install systems for exploiting the waves of the sea,
- stimulate monitoring projects using drones or special sensors to assess the impacts and any changes resulting from climate change.
DAY 2: Coastal zone and tourism
Challenges
- increase protection of coastal dunes;
- increase the resolution of satellite data to better monitor impacts and changes,
extreme events; - promote urban regeneration;
- pay attention to the basins and rivers to recreate the flow towards the sea,
- help the coastal production chains, increase their environmental sustainability;
- promote the development of nautical tourism;
- think about governance to create co-responsibility;
- develope constant monitoring of movements on shore;
- improve the warning system in case of river flood,
- predict paroxysmal phenomena such as mucilage;
- spread the climate change risk culture;
- increase cross-cutting, multi attitudinal, multidisciplinary innovation;
- reduce the anthropogenic pressure on the coast;
- create a beach strip free of infrastructure;
- create familiarity with the liquidity of the marine environment;
- focus practitioners on the educational aspects of sustainable growth;
- increase coastal resilience through science-based sustainability: for citizens’ health,
justice and equity; - update the structural usability of buildings along theRomagna coast;
- develop operational, marine monitoring and dissemination of scientific weather
Priority actions
- build a map of the multihazard of the coast with possible approach strategies (both scientific and educational)
- build a map that considers all dimensions of risk, making a return understandable and that declines constructive strategies;
- study local climate change so that reliable future scenarios can be developed;
- develop MULTI CLUST-ERs where small enterprises can increase synergies;
- ensure an accessible culture on tourism management;
- develop new technologies that can ensure the anticipation and control of extreme (increasingly frequent) events;
- define a regeneration plan for the Romagna coast;
- develop, through research activity, tools for (inexpensive) systemic monitoring and drones that can carry barycentric lidar;
- promote training and education to monitor and prevent future actions;
- develop of river-shore sediment monitoring systems;
- promote maritime education starting from high schools;
- develop instruments for monitoring salinity, sediment, catchment, rivers with drones and special sensors;
- bring the population closer to a pragmatic vision of the sea but responsible and sustainable;
- prevent, monitor, and coordinate through early warning systems;
- manage and innovate governance, including tourism and the economy of the sea;
- involve the Third Sector, hoteliers and local authorities;
- develop urban technologies that allow coexistence in coastal environments.
DAY 3: Blue Bioeconomy
Challenges
- improve access to the fish market;
- study the development of resilient species;
- decarbonise the entire fish chain;
- the exploitation of waste;
- develop a capacity to synthesise needs for political tables and discussion;
- describe each challenge and objective by territory and not by sector;
- exploitation of local species (including alien species such as blue crab);
- identify sustainable fisheries practices with stakeholders;
- consider environmental protection in the economic and social context;
- study the ecosystem modified by climate change;
- bridge the gap in sea knowledge;
- train and inform fish operators;
- raise consumer and citizen awareness;
- create a database with all information on fish species and fish market;
- fill the gap among fisheries and aquaculture operators;
- call for legislation not on macro areas but on restricted areas;
- avoid a single fishing system;
- create and increase small-scale fisheries statistics (currently non-existent);
- create higher education institutions on the Blue Career;
- develop systems that are adaptable and resilient to sudden changes in biodiversity;
- identify resilience techniques in the fisheries and aquaculture sector to enable continued operation
Priority actions
- create a High Adriatic Observatory for constant monitoring of the fish fauna in the sea;
- enhance the Blue Bio-Economy Regional Network;
- define studies and research linking business, academia, training bodies, public administration, local authorities, consumers;
- define pilot projects;
- build a sustainable aquaculture model in the Adriatic;
- develop a food education, seasonality (also with new recipes with alien species);
- provide training and information;
- facilitate the adoption of flexible laws;
- define a 360° management plan of the sea (not only of fisheries) that can change according to needs;
- promote more adaptable species to enable effective economic returns;
- monitor fishing activity related issues;
- work on end-of-waste criteria for waste from fish and aquaculture to allow the exploitation of these in a circular economy perspective;
- contextualize scientific data following the various climate changes;
- reconnect fishermen with civil society;
- maintain close market and operations in the Adriatic;
- increase the breeding capacity for aquaculture;
- avoid short-term profit shares, but increase shares through foundations or research centres;
- define a science-based policy;
- make fishing techniques adaptable to seasonal and climate change;-create protected areas in nursery function;
- increase the number of tests under real conditions (the applicability of the solutions identified is often unreliable);
- involve all actors, managers, fishermen, cablators, oil and gas, transporters and cruise liners;
- boost Start-up Birth on the Blue Economy;
- exploit local resources to make the best use of KM0 and the quality of the Emilia-Romagna Region.
Through events like the ECOMONDO Fair and the Forum’s ongoing efforts, the Emilia-Romagna Region continues to strengthen its leadership in sustainable blue economy practices, paving the way for a resilient and innovative future.
For further information about the project, please contact jordi.juarez@crpm.org
