What Is the Blue Bioeconomy Skills Gap?
The blue bioeconomy — spanning marine biotechnology, seaweed cultivation, bivalve farming, ocean-based ingredients, and more — is a growing sector with genuine demand for skilled professionals and innovative entrepreneurs. But awareness of career routes, training resources, and funding opportunities remains low, particularly for early-career professionals and start-ups across the EU.
Many people want to work in the blue bioeconomy but can’t find a clear way in. That is the skills gap Blue Bio Techpreneurs was built to address.
What Is Blue Bio Techpreneurs?
Blue Bio Techpreneurs (BBT) is an EU-funded project designed to create more accessible pathways into blue bioeconomy careers and entrepreneurship. Working together with BLUEBIO ALLIANCE, Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique, University of Southern Denmark, and University of Gdańsk, the project has delivered:
- 6 online courses reaching more than 3,000 learners across Europe
- 3 international hackathons tackling real blue biotech industry challenges
- 7 webinars on blue economy careers and innovation pathways
- A growing BlueBioMatch community connecting emerging talent with industry opportunity
Behind each number are researchers exploring new career directions, entrepreneurs finding their first industry connections, and students discovering that the blue bioeconomy is a place they can actually build a future.
What Is the MakeEUBlue Award?
The MakeEUBlue Awards, presented annually at European Maritime Day, recognise outstanding contributions to ocean literacy, blue economy innovation, and sustainable use of marine resources across Europe. The Organisation category honours institutions making a measurable difference in how Europe thinks, learns, and works with the ocean.
Why Closing the Blue Bioeconomy Skills Gap Matters
Skills gaps don’t close on their own. They close when institutions invest in making knowledge accessible, when researchers and businesses find ways to talk to each other, and when early-career professionals can see a realistic path forward.
That is what BBT set out to do, and what this award recognises. For SUBMARINER, it also validates a broader approach: that transnational collaboration across the Baltic Sea Region, done well, can produce results that no single institution could achieve alone.
