Advancing the Bioeconomy in the Baltic Sea: the Blue Platform Project

The kick-off event of the new Blue Platform project took place in Helsinki on 5-6 November. Blue Platform will increase awareness of existing Blue Bioeconomy knowledge in the Baltic, and focuses on streamlining activities both now and in the future. 

The Blue Bioeconomy covers activities that are based on the sustainable use of renewable aquatic resources, such as aquaculture, mussel and algae farming or marine biotechnology. Such activities are crucial to achieving Blue Growth, meaning that maritime sectors are both environmentally and economically sustainable. Luckily, many actors across the Baltic Sea Region are already very active in these sectors, and a wealth of past and on-going Blue Bioeconomy projects and products is available.

Increasing awareness and capacity

Blue Platform will increase awareness of existing Blue Bioeconomy knowledge in the Baltic, and focuses on streamlining activities both now and in the future. We will develop a manual with common standards; policy papers on how funding and legislation could be better aligned; and develop a Blue Platform Roadmap 2020. The project website features a continuously updated database of Baltic Blue Bioeconomy activities, projects, products and actors. We focus on:

• Knowledge dissemination: promoting more than 25 past and on-going transnational products developed by over 10 projects;
• increased transnational and cross-sectoral dialogue and cooperation between all Blue Bioeconomy actors and their activities;
• and capacity building to create new knowledge and partnerships.

Become involved with the Blue Platform!

The Blue Platform is leading the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy Community through a dynamic website and web-based products, as well as by bringing people together face-to-face. Meet us at one of the 7 transnational workshops during the Blue Platform Roadshow, follow #BluePlatform on social media or visit https://www.submariner-network.eu/projects/blueplatform.

The aim is to gather project promotors and partners from former projects in the Baltic Sea Region focused on blue bioeconomy and connect the results and products from these projects to develop the knowledge further and put the products in use. There are databases, mappings and information gathered for many aspects of blue bioeconomy that now can be used to create new information and thus promote the blue bioeconomy.

The Environmental Institute SYKE in Finland is lead partner in the project, while the SUBMARINER network with its secretariat based in Berlin acts as the main coordinator especially for the communication and dissemination within the project.

Other partners are:

· University of Tartu, UTARTU, Estonia
· Guldborgssund municipality, Denmark
· Latvian Institute of Aquatic Environment, Latvia
· University of Gdansk, Poland
· Maritime Institute in Gdansk, Poland
· Klaipeda Technical Institute, Lithuania
· Kaliningrad University
· Swedish Board of Agriculture, PAC Bioeconomy-Fishery and Aquaculture

The partners have participated in a variety of (and are still participating in some ongoing) BSR projects such as:

• Baltic Blue Growth (INTERREG)
• Baltic Blue Biotechnology alliance (INTERREG)
• SmartBlue Regions (INTERREG)
• InnoAqua Tech (SOUTH-BALTIC)
• Baltic RIM (SOUTH-BALTIC
• Plan4Blue (Central Baltic)
• MUSES - Multi-Use of in European Seas (Horizon 2020)