The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) has announced a new call for proposals with a total budget of €5.7 million aimed at promoting Smart Specialization and innovation in the EU’s sustainable blue economy.
Smart Specialization strategies try to build competitive advantages by developing or matching research and innovation to business needs in order to address emerging opportunities. The initiative seeks to drive strategic interregional partnerships that capitalize on strategic advantages through the S3 Thematic Platform for a Sustainable Blue Economy. Proposals are expected to address key priorities such as decarbonization, energy transition, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, the circular blue economy, coastal resilience, and the prevention of marine litter. The RFP also encourages innovative solutions in areas like new forms of aquaculture (including algae farming), sustainable food systems, and green coastal and maritime tourism.
Out of the total budget, €3.8 million is allocated specifically for Smart Specialization to address the fundamental challenge of transferring research results into business ventures.
The RFP said Smart Specialization and Regenerative Ocean Farming and Algae Innovation create a critical mass for what are usually capital-intensive investments in innovation and its concrete applications. Crucially, it said, there is still a lack of strategic public-private projects, particularly transnational ones, to develop innovative business solutions and harness investment opportunities in the EU blue economy.
The hope is to create interregional partnerships that develop EU-wide value chains in the sustainable blue economy, exploiting the strengths of each European sea basin to design innovation strategies, boost investment and develop smart and sustainable business solutions. Areas to be addressed include:
Fisheries: e.g. social innovation; better governance; reducing environmental impact & marine litter; decarbonisation; circular economy; marketing and product innovation; use of under-utilised and/or invasive species; health and biotechnology; data and digitalisation; robotics; vessel monitoring systems.
Aquaculture: e.g. lowering carbon footprint; decarbonization; aquaponics; regulatory and business models for IMTA (Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture); space and investments: mussels and algae farming.
Marine Renewable Energy: e.g. clusters; certification services; corrosion; operations and maintenance optimisation; MREs and ports; digital twin options; skills – reskilling and upskilling; testing and demonstration in real environments; environmental issues.
Blue biotechnology: e.g. algae as a contributor for sustainable food systems; microalgae; bio products; bio products from invasive species; bioplastics and farming waste materials, circularity.
Coastal and maritime tourism: e.g. Circularity; digitalization; data indicators, use in decision making; ecotourism – innovative packages for protected areas; sustainable nautical tourism (cruise and yachting); fishing tourism; sustainable mobility; seasonality – elongation of tourism periods; skills, upskilling and reskilling; sanitary protocols.
