Unveiling the Path to a Sustainable Blue Economy: A Call for Unified Action
The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, a collaborative initiative within the Horizon Europe Programme, has opened its doors to innovators and visionaries with its latest joint transnational call:
‘Unified Paths to a Climate-Neutral, Sustainable and Resilient Blue Economy: Engaging Civil Society, Academia, Policy and Industry.’
This initiative aims to catalyse a shift towards a regenerative, resilient and sustainable blue economy, aligning with broader climate and sustainability goals.
The vision of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership is to steer and support a just and inclusive transition towards a climate-neutral, sustainable, productive and competitive blue economy. Additionally, the partnership seeks to lay the groundwork for a sustainable ocean, by ensuring its vitality for generations to come.
At the heart of this initiative lies a call for transnational research and innovation projects, spanning a duration of 36 months. These projects are expected to tackle one of four priority areas, each vital for the advancement of the blue economy:
- Digital Twins of the Ocean: Developing regional-scale digital representations of oceanic ecosystems.
- Blue Economy Sectors and Marine Infrastructure Development: Exploring the potential of multi-use marine infrastructures.
- Planning and Managing Sea Uses: Strategies for effective regional-level sea use planning and management.
- Blue Bioresources: Maximising the sustainable utilisation of marine biological resources.
These projects must adopt an impact-driven approach, contributing tangibly to the transformation towards a more resilient future and aligning with carbon neutrality targets.
To ensure broad applicability and impact, proposals are encouraged to span across at least two European sea basins, with a particular focus on regional seas such as the Adriatic Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, among others. Moreover, consortiums must comprise partners from a minimum of three different countries, each seeking support from at least three distinct funding organisations.
The reach of this initiative is vast, encompassing contributions from 38 funding organisations across 26 countries, alongside support from the European Union. Among the participating nations are Belgium, Brazil, Cyprus, Denmark and many others, reflecting a truly global commitment to the sustainable development of the blue economy.
Partnerships and collaboration are at the core of this endeavour, with applicants strongly encouraged to engage stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, including small and medium enterprises, industries, authorities and civil society organisations. Such collaboration not only enhances innovation but also ensures the relevance and societal impact of the projects.
For those seeking partners or projects to join, the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership offers a dedicated Partner Search Tool, facilitating connections and fostering collaboration.
This call for action is not just another research initiative; it is a cornerstone of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Endorsed by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, projects funded under this initiative will play a pivotal role in advancing the goals of the Ocean Decade.
For more information and updates, visit the initiative’s website here.