From a research and innovation landscape mapping platform to a responsible and sustainable research reflection tool, BlueMissionAA turns innovation, policy and citizen action into real results for the blue transition.
Spanning an astonishing 375,000 kilometres of coastline, the Atlantic and Arctic basins stretch from the rugged fjords of Norway to the sunlit shores of Portugal. This living border sustains communities, drives economies, and shelters fragile ecosystems. Yet today, these waters also carry pressing challenges: how do we protect them against the accelerating pressures of climate change, pollution and overexploitation?
Since 2022, BlueMissionAA has been at the heart of this effort as the Coordination and Support Action (CSA) for the Lighthouse of the Atlantic and Arctic basin under the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’. Working together with over 10 Horizon Europe Mission Ocean projects, the CSA has contributed to biodiversity restoration through 90 demonstration sites, 17 Associated Regions, and mobilised over 120 Charter Actions, building a vibrant innovation ecosystem – an achievement recognised with the Atlantic Project Award.
Set to conclude in October, BlueMissionAA leaves behind a lasting legacy of collaboration, innovation and knowledge – supporting the objective of Mission Ocean and Waters to protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, in line with the EU's Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.
Driving blue innovation
‘We have created a much better interconnectedness in terms of blue innovation in the region, with a much stronger and more collaborative network,’ explains Valerie de Liedekerke, Head of Ocean Policy and Stakeholder Engagement at the AIR Centre and Coordinator of BlueMissionAA.
One of the project’s flagship outcomes is WaveLinks, a digital platform developed together with sister projects BlueMissionBANOS and Prep4Blue. WaveLinks maps projects, funding, partners, stakeholders and innovative solutions and services, serving as a hub for networking and staying updated in blue innovation. The repository already features nearly 5,900 projects, from technologies to restoration services, and 15,000 stakeholders, making Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) transparent and accelerating partnerships. ‘When we presented the dashboard at the Blue Business and Innovation Fair in Lisbon, entrepreneurs were thrilled. They’ve been wanting such a platform for a long time,’ says de Liedekerke.
Beyond innovation mapping, the project also reviewed governance frameworks across the Atlantic and Arctic, identifying gaps and recommending reforms to better align policies with the realities of entrepreneurs and innovators. The findings provide actionable guidance for future ocean governance.
Empowering researchers and citizens
Innovation alone cannot drive the blue transition – it must also be responsible and inclusive. To this end, BlueMissionAA introduced the Responsible and Sustainable Research Reflection Tool. The tool encourages researchers to consider ethical, environmental, social and professional aspects of their work and projects and to engage in ongoing reflection to improve research impact and integrity. It sets a sort of standard that enables scholars to evaluate their research processes and outcomes through the lens of responsibility and sustainability.
At the same time, citizen engagement took centre stage through various outreach activities. The Weekly Hours, a three-season webinar series, spotlighted marine entrepreneurs, scientists, policymakers, and communities dedicating their lives to the ocean. With 35 episodes, the series boosted ocean literacy across the region, translating complex challenges into accessible stories.
BlueMissionAA, TIDAL ArtS and the Myo Café in Cork organised the interactive folk storytelling session ‘Ocean Storytelling: Stories from the Sea’ at European Maritime Day 2025, featuring tales from a former navy captain, a fisherman and a fisherwoman about their experiences of our oceans and waters.
Financing the blue future
As the initiative looks beyond its own horizon, one of its most important lessons lies in scaling solutions. ‘We can’t focus on the uptake of a single solution at a time. We need to create a patchwork of multiple solutions rolled out across a region to achieve real impact,’ stresses de Liedekerke. Bundling solutions into ‘seascapes’ makes them visible to large investors while ensuring that innovations achieve basin-wide impact.
Still, financing the blue transition cannot rest solely with big capital. BlueMissionAA highlights the importance of mechanisms that allow citizens and communities to invest directly – whether through commons cooperatives, restoration as a service, restoration time banks, or gamified community engagement play-to-restore. ‘Enabling ownership at the community level,’ de Liedekerke argues, ‘ensures continuity beyond EU project cycles.’
Discover the Mission Lighthouses, catch up on their latest news, and endorse the Mission Charter – help the wave of change grow stronger!