Roadmap Set for the Blue Economy in the Western Baltic

In pursuit of EU Mission Ocean “Restore our Ocean and Water”, Blue Mission BANOS hosted the 1st Mission Arena from 14-16 November in Gothenburg, Sweden, at the Lindholmen Conference Centre.

As coordinator of the Blue Mission BANOS project, the SUBMARINER team joint organised the event and utilised the opportunity to present our projects on ocean multi-use, blue products, environmental protection, and low-trophic aquaculture to a highly engaged group of attendees.  

The event brought together 500 participants from over 20 different countries, spanning roles in SMEs, startups, governmental organizations, research institutes, and more, all united by a shared passion for our seas and the blue economy.

Action points voted on by the region

At the conclusion of three days of workshops and fruitful exchange, the participants had the opportunity to vote on what they would goals they would like to see pursued over the next 5 years in the region. The following action points were decided on to guide the sector’s work in the Western Baltic:

To increase sustainable blue biomass production, we must act now to​: 

1. Promote quantification and monetisation of ecosystem services
2. Create long-term financial incentives for aquaculture akin to Common Agricultural Policy
3. Develop parks for multi-use on land and at sea

To realise the potential of multi-use solutions, we must act now to:

1. Clarify permitting processes and provide suitable regulatory incentives
2. Integrate offshore multi-use into maritime spatial plans
3. Consider the socio-economic and environmental benefits of multi-use

To ensure more effective measures for marine protection, we must act now to:

1. Provide funding for local implementation and management of MPAs
2. Start with ‘something’ small now, rather than wait for comprehensive solutions later
3. Empower local communities to establish, manage, and monitor MPAs

To get more locally produced sustainable blue products on the market​, we must act now to:

1. Develop new products from alternative local blue biomass
2. Replace feed imports from overseas and incentivise a blue/green transition 
3. Promote standardisation of new products and processes to scale up production

To support local sustainable blue businesses, we must act now to:

1. Treat aquaculture farmers like the traditional food sectors and fast-track approval processes
2. Support collaboration and co-creation between academia, startups & private sector 
3. Establish advisory services for municipalities wanting to explore the development of circular blue biobased value chains 

To increase the number of people with the skills needed for the blue economy, we must act to:

1. Create dedicated vocational and lifelong learning training programs to up- and reskill workers 
2. Build direct collaboration between academia and industry via internships or project-based classes
3. Integrate Pupils into current research projects, to spark interest and pave ways into careers in the sector

To increase the buy-in of citizens In the blue economy, we must act to:

1. Involve students actively in professional and innovative projects 
2. Make the bridge between citizens and professionals by adjusting our language 
3. Create and strengthen the interaction and dialogue between citizens, students, researchers, industry and policymakers 

To improve Mission Ocean governance and funding efforts, we must act now to:

1. Unlock funding across the entire value chain and increase funding to enable solutions or initiatives, which have proven to be successful, to continue and be applied elsewhere
2. Create solutions that are region-specific and flexible in order to test new innovative approaches
3. Create new governance structures at vertical and horizontal levels to engage local, regional and national authorities

Mission Arena in Tallin

Don’t forget to save the date for the upcoming Mission Arena in Tallin, Estonia on the 25th and 26th of April 2024. Stay informed by following BlueMissionBanos on social media for the latest updates. 

Let’s continue the conversations on BlueBioMatch, a community platform powered by AlgaeProBanos that brings together stakeholders in the blue economy!