Project Summary

Project INNOVABLUE main objective is to bring a new perspective regarding development of sustainable blue economy to Adrion region by fostering and Integrating 2 strategically positioned innovation communities BlueAIR’s Innovation community and the innovation community organized around cross-border Digital Innovation Hub Innovamare. Developed Innovablue innovation community will propel marine technologies and innovation for sustainable blue economy and foster stronger collaboration across the ADRION region. The objectives are focused to respond to key challenges by enhancing the innovation ecosystem to improve collaboration between 4helix stakeholders, develop new regulatory frameworks to tackle regulatory bottlenecks that slow down the adoption and scaling of innovative blue technologies, boost funding for blue technology projects by mapping potential funding opportunities, developing investment portfolios, and engaging stakeholders to support innovative marine technologies, and facilitating the technology transfer in the marine sector to strengthen the sectors competitiveness and sustainability.

The project is structured around 4 WPs, each designed to address specific challenges within the blue economy of ADRION region.

Through WP1 – Innovation community upgrade will be build upon existing thematic InnovaMare ecosystem and BlueAir community creating stronger collaboration in marine (blue) technologies on multiregional/ transnational level.

Through WP2 -we will strengthen blue innovations within the macro-region by specific recommendations of several relevant regulatory solutions to accelerate innovation development by testing/validation in a real environment in order to encourage the set goals of the blue economy and blue growth.

Within the WP 3 - Funding boost for ADRION Blue technologies - Road to Adrion Blue Fund project team will work on the established cooperation with relevant stakeholders for development of innovation fund that will assist in funding innovative solution concepts with focus on innovative marine technologies supporting the digital and green transition towards the sustainable blue economy.

WP4 -Technology transfer for innovative technologies activities will strengthen transfer of technologies and collaboration on development of innovative joint solutions between private and scientific- research sector with focus on marine (blue) technologies in value chains of sustainable blue economy.

By expanding community, exploring more blue funding opportunities, enhancing transnational innovation and technology transfer and better integration of regulatory frameworks for piloting and testing of new technologies related to blue traditional and emerging sectors DIH Innovamare as a lead partner together with all consortium partners will contribute to the objective set up in the Call for Proposals: Strengthening cooperation and consolidating research and business communities’ networks thus boosting the existing know-how and defining the basis for better competition inside and outside the programme area.

Fostering the level of cooperation among research centers, higher education sector, public authorities, and private companies to allow technology transfer and capacity building in the area the project will help advance the current macroregional collaboration networks towards thematic S3 partnerships and the definition of interregional investment projects in a EUSAIR Pillar 1 topic Blue technologies. By merging two strategic projects from two programmes ADRION and Interreg Italy-Croatia we are setting an example of collaboration, sustainability and creating ground for stronger and larger impact of developed communities and results on ADRION region.

INNOVABLUE embarks on an ambitious journey to fortify the blue economy across the Adriatic- Ionian (ADRION) region by fostering innovation, sustainability, and transnational collaboration.

The tangible outcomes of INNOVABLUE include a roadmap for the enhanced innovation community, recommendations for regulatory reforms, the foundation for the Adrion Blue Fund, and a framework for effective technology transfer. These outputs are designed to benefit research organizations, companies, public bodies, and institutions supporting the blue economy, ensuring a sustainable and innovative future for the ADRION region.