MedCities will implement the testing phase in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area and leads the Capitalisation component. 

MedCities and AMB will address different parts of the value change of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, focusing especially on the phases especially relevant to the territory namely distribution, commercialization and generation of byproducts. 

Last 18th and 19th February MedCities and the Agency for Economic Development of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) participated to the kick off Meeting of the Interreg MED project BLUEfasma, hosted by the Project leader, the University of Patras (Greece)

BLUEfasma- « Empowering innovation capacity of SMEs, maritime clusters and networks in MED islands and coastal areas to support blue circular economy growth in fishing/aquaculture » – integrates and implements Circular Economy (CE) principles in the key blue growth sectors of fisheries and aquaculture to benefit Mediterranean  insular and coastal areas in a novel/innovative way. The project team of 13 interdisciplinary institutions tackles the transnational challenge of continual depletion of natural resources and the below-EU-average MED CE innovation performance in fishing and aquaculture. Its overall objective is to empower innovation capacity of SMEs, maritime clusters and networks, and public authorities to boost blue CE growth in coastal areas.

This project will be a good opportunity for the AMB to improve the industrial symbiosis and the CE with regard to the blue economy sector as well as to contribute to and adopt the technical and policy recommendations arising from the project to adapt this economic sector to circular economy practices. For doing so, the team will analyse the current situation of related SMEs as to circular economy practices and their readiness to undertake innovation on this area. Those who are willing to do so will be accompanied in the process through BLUEFasma Living Labs providing support to implement innovation and the search of financing mechanisms.

MedCities and AMB will address different parts of the value change of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, focusing especially on the phases especially relevant to the territory namely distribution, commercialization and generation of byproducts. 10 other territories in the Mediterranean will undergo a similar exercise and all developed methodologies, tools and experiences will be accessible through an open platform.

The project BLUFASMA will run till June 2022. AMB and the municipality of Larnaca are associated partners to the project.