MED Blue Economy in

Action Conference

HANDBOOK
1. Executive Summary

2. Main Takeaways

3. Highlights

4. Conclusion
Executive Summary

The European Commission Communication “on a new approach for a sustainable blue
economy in the EU - Transforming the EU's Blue Economy for a Sustainable Future is a key
step in the transition towards a more sustainable approach in the development of the blue
economy sector. The Blue Economy concept is emerging as a source of opportunities for
common well-being, both from the economic and environmental points of view.

Among the various European initiatives supporting a sustainable blue economy transition, the
Blue Growth Community (BGC) Horizontal Project, funded by the Interreg Med-Programme,
is operating to enhance a smart and sustainable Blue Economy in the Mediterranean.

The BGC consists of a community of experienced projects which have developed innovative
tools/methodologies to enhance smart and sustainable growth in the Mediterranean. The Blue
Growth Community seeks to capitalize on the outputs (tools and methodologies) of the
projects belonging to the Interreg MED Blue Growth Community, towards the enhancement
of a sustainable Blue Economy in the Mediterranean area. The community covers six main
thematic areas: Marine Renewable Energy, Maritime Surveillance, Coastal & Maritime Tourism,
Circular Economy & Blue Funding, Blue Biotechnology & Bioeconomy, and Fishing &
Aquaculture. All the projects within the BGC have produced or are in the process of generating
tools, methodologies, and results that are focused on one or more of the above-mentioned
thematic areas. Mindful of this critical mass of knowledge, the Blue Growth Community
advocates a new approach for sustainable blue growth in the Mediterranean with a specific
focus on Innovation.

Within this framework last November 18th, 2021, the Blue Growth Community organized its
mid-term conference under the framework of the 15th edition of the Mediterranean Week of
Economic Leaders (MedaWeek Barcelona). MedaWeek is one of the most iconic economic
conferences for the Mediterranean business sector. On this occasion, the Blue Growth
Community presented the main results from the MED Blue Growth projects to the private
sector. The conference, titled: “Med Blue Economy in Action: Blue Business Tools for SMEs” was
the occasion for experts and companies, participating in the MED Blue Growth projects to
share their experiences on the Mediterranean Blue Economy. All the experiences presented by
the private entities were concrete solutions and real opportunities for investments in the Blue
Economy sector.

This handbook wants to be a practical paper for encouraging the private sector to get inspired
and replicate the best practices coming from the Blue Growth Community Projects. The paper
is a “follow-up” handbook to the Med Blue Economy in Action conference. A manual for
inspiration and replication of innovative solutions and tools tailored to the private sectors.
Main Takeaways
If you are looking for innovative opportunities within the Blue Economy sectors, don’t miss
these #3 Takeaways:

Takeaway #1
.
Blue Growth Community: is a community of projects, currently putting in place
activities for capitalizing the outputs (tools and methodologies) of the projects
belonging to the Community, towards the enhancement of a sustainable Blue
.
Economy in the Mediterranean area.

Takeaway #2

“BLUEINVEST” EU initiative: is an investment platform to boost innovation and

investments into sustainable technologies for the Blue Economy. The
community is open to entrepreneurs, investors, corporates, and innovation
stakeholders interested in the Blue Economy.

Takeaway #3

BLUE DEAL’s “Open innovation challenge”: is a strategy for the eff icient
matching of demand and supply of innovation, explaining the 12 challenges
related to the Blue Energy sector and the possibilities offered to all those
innovative companies, start-ups, or research centers that are willing to
participate and propose solutions.
Highlights on the Blue Growth Community’s tools for
sustainable Blue Economy
4helix+
Modular Project

4Helix Voucher
Scheme

About the tool: The 4helix voucher scheme is a mechanism to provides grants
and knowledge services by “Knowledge Providers” to companies
(in 8 pilot areas), to support the design and creation of new
products, services, processes, or business models. It had a specific
structure, including several steps: the online application,
evaluation and registration of the Knowledge Providers, the
selection of Knowledge Providers by SMEs, the online submission
of the blue-innovation project proposal, the evaluation of the
proposals by the Selection Boards, the 6 months projects’
realization (including monitoring visits) and the certification (after
a successful realization).

Potential Takers: Regional public authorities or other organizations that can use
funding tools for the benefit of blue companies (mostly MSMEs
and start-ups).

Testimonials:
Mr. Emanuele Troli, Managing Director of Blu Marine Service Soc
Coop (Italy), presented his experience as a beneficiary of the
4helix+ Voucher Scheme. In this case, the participating SME, Blu
Marine Service Soc Coop experienced the 4helix voucher scheme
as a knowledge provider by helping a company to implement an
innovation process to apply biodegradable and compostable for
seafood packaging. Positive features of the voucher scheme, such
as the speed in the evaluation and funding process, zero cost of
the consultancy, and little bureaucracy for presenting the project
were the key evidence of the positive impact of this tool in
supporting blue economy innovation.
Blue Crowdfunding
Modular Project

Blue Crowdfunding
Campaign toolkit:

About the tool: The Blue Crowdfunding campaign toolkit uses crowdfunding and
crowdsourcing to fund, test, and validate innovative blue economy
products and services. The “Toolkit”, targets three different types of
actors: SMEs to learn and implement crowdfunding campaigns;
BSOs to be trained to become trainers/” focal points” in order to
mainstream crowdfunding knowledge for blue economy projects;
Regions to be guided through a process for changing regulations
in order to enable the implementation of a “civic blue
crowdfunding experiment” and mainstream it into future 2021-
2027 development policies.

Potential Takers:
Public and private sector

Testimonials: Mr. Ioannis Ioannou, representative of SYNDESEAS SME in Cyprus,

who has participated in the Crowdfunding Campaign training,
enhanced by the Blue Crowdfunding project. According to his
testimonial, learning how to develop a crowdfunding campaign is
significant for SMEs and startups for many reasons: it raises their
working capital, and allows testing a business idea, and it also
creates the perfect occasion to increase product awareness.
According to this testimonial, the crowdfunding campaign has
proven to be an innovative and significant tool, especially for start-
ups, for financing blue innovative solutions
MISTRAL

Modular Project

Business Plan
Competition Toolkit:

About the tool: The Business Plan Competition toolkit is a step by step guide for
Innovation service providers willing to support, develop and
strengthen the Blue Growth sector at the regional level.
Coordinating networking activities among private stakeholders of
the Blue Growth and enhancing their innovation potentials
through public actions is a crucial intermediating function MED
regions should ensure for the future. This toolkit provides detailed
information on how to launch and manage a Business Plan
Competition for the BG sector as a driver for innovation and Smart
Specialisation.

Potential Takers:
Innovation services provider, Cluster, Innovation Agencies,
Research Institutions, Public Authorities

Testimonials: Mr. Fabio Bignolini, Representative of Northern Light S.r.l. (Italy),

SME participated in the Mistral Business Plan competition. The
Northern Light S.r.l. from Italy commented positively on its
participation in the competition. This experience allowed start-ups
to improve competencies in business plan development, upgrade
transversal skills, namely on project pitching and social media
management. The competition was presented at the mid-term
conference as a potential tool for catalyzing innovation in the Blue
growth sector
BLUEfasma

Modular Project

BlUEfasma Circularity
Self-Assessment:

About the tool: The BLUEfasma Circularity Self-Assessment Tool has been
developed as a unified Mediterranean measure of SMEs’ readiness
and willingness to invest in CE; acting as a decision support tool;
tackling the lack of data on the circularity level of Mediterranean
SMEs in fishing and aquaculture and their willingness to invest in
Blue Circular Economy. How does it work? The user has to use this
tool once. Then the tool calculates the circularity level and the
willingness to invest in the CE of the user. Based on this, the tool
produces some personalized recommendations towards the blue
CE. Afterward, if the user follows the recommendations, they
should use the tool again in order to monitor his/her organization’s
new level of circularity and read the new recommendations
towards a more CE.

Potential Takers: SMEs, enterprises, business clusters

Testimonials: Mr. Joao Rito, SEAentia´s Founding partner, commented how easy
to use is the “Circularity self-assessment tool” developed under
BLUEfasma. Moreover, the results given by the self-assessment tool
provided fruitful bits of advice and measures towards a higher level
of circularity in SEAentia´s business. With these recommendations
in its hands, SEAntia was grateful for this experience, as it is now
empowered and committed to achieving the maximum level of
circularity model.
Psamides

Modular Project

Coaching Programme for SME:

About the tool: The coaching programme offers several business

accelerations services to support the sustainable growth
and economic development of marinas. The
programme helped the speed up the pace of SMEs’
innovation focusing on continuous improvement,
networking, learning opportunities and facilitating
access to business partners and investors. Coaches helps
the beneficiaries to progress over the life cycle of their
innovation, from idea to proof of concept to first pilot
application and finally upscaling and expansion.

Potential Takers: SMEs, Clusters

Testimonials: Ms. Sabrina Palmieri, from Ecocean (FR), underlined the

positive experience on the “Coaching program for SMEs”
attended by her company in the context of the
Psamides project. Ecocean is a french SME operating
under ecological-coastal engineering for protecting and
restoring marine ecosystems. By the participation in the
Psamides project, Ecocean was able to scale up one of
the ecological solutions in the Spanish port
of Cataluña. Ms. Paliermi emphasized the success of the
Psamides coaches programme, claiming: "we took part
in Psamides intending to open up the Spanish market,
and the gamble paid off with a transformation of quotes
in just a few weeks."
Conclusion

The Blue Growth Community mid-term conference has been the perfect scenario for entrepreneurs to
participate in the MED Blue Growth Projects, to share with other entrepreneurs their experiences,
lessons learned, and therefore, the positive results coming from these projects. The conference has been
provided by the operative and effective communication of those companies that actively participated,
experienced, and supported the implementation of the MED Blue Growth projects. Thanks to their
testimonials, the added value, the impact, and the transfering potential of these projects were available
to everyone. This event paved the way for the Blue Growth Capitalization process addressed to the
Mediterranean private sector.

If you want to be an active actor in the transition to a sustainable blue economy in the MED area please,

please contact medbluegrowth@gmail.com

.

The Blue Growth project will support you in transfering innovative solutions for a sustainable blue
economy!

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