BLUEFasma Interreg Med modular project belonging to the Blue Growth Community seeks to increase innovation capacity to enhance circular economy performance in the fishing and aquaculture sector in the Mediterranean area.

Description

A common territorial challenge the Mediterranean region faces is the continual depletion of natural resources, which causes severe environmental, economic, and social impacts. Circular economy aims to prevent this depletion by closing energy and materials loops, leading to smart and sustainable growth–a critical joint asset in Mediterranean insular and coastal areas. In these areas, fishing and aquaculture are a crucial blue economy sector, directly employing coastal and insular territories’ population.

However, the Mediterranean circular economy innovation performance in this sector is below the European Union average: this is the macro common challenge partners (PPs) face and represents the common ground on which BLUEfasma is built.

To tackle the above challenges, BLUEfamsa will:

• Enhance circular economy performance
• Transfer knowledge and best practices,
• Empower small and medium business (SMEs), maritime clusters, and networks in innovation capacity,
• Support and engage the actors via the identification of integrated funding opportunities.

In BLUEFasma project, MedCities – in close collaboration with the Economic Development Agency of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB), associated partner – is testing the level of circularity of s for the fishing distribution sector in the metropolitan area aiming to facilitate its transition towards circularity and sustainability addressing both the wholesaler and retailer sector. (e.g. through electrification of the distribution processes, green packaging, or food waste reduction). MedCities will provide technical assistance to a number of actors to implement innovative actions on this field. MedCities will further coordinate the capitalisation process of the learnings and the best practices and guide the definition of policy recommendations. The city of Larnaca – member of MedCities network – is also associated to the project.

General Objective

Its overall objective is to empower SMEs’ innovation capacity, maritime clusters and networks, Public Authorities, and other key actors to boost blue circular economy growth in the Mediterranean insular, island, and coastal areas.

Specific Objectives

Its specific objective is to increase the transnational activity of innovative clusters and networks of key sectors of the Mediterranean area.

BLUEfasma will increase the innovation capacity of maritime clusters and networks acting in fishing and aquaculture, enhancing smart and sustainable growth through:

• Systematising and transferring proven innovative practices as well as existing tools and methods demonstrated in BLUEfasma online platform; http://bluefasma.upatras.gr/
• Supporting financing for business investment in the circular economy in research and innovation (R&I).
• Facilitating knowledge exchange between enterprises, public institutions, research and development centres, and the higher education sector seeking to foster the role of Quadruple Helix.
• Offering tailored coaching and mentoring services.
• Improving transnational cooperation and deep networking among Public Administrations and small and medium business (SMEs), facilitating the transfer of replicable results.
• Capitalising on past and current findings to influence public policies towards the circular economy and allocate circular economy R&I funding for business investment.
• Integrating innovative measures that lead to practical solutions to Mediterranean maritime challenges.

Thus, BLUEfasma will contribute to the increase of involved actors’ transnational activity.

For more information visit the project website: https://bluefasma.interreg-med.eu/