Regional Support – Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership

This study increased awareness and participation in the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) among European regional sea basin stakeholders. Throughout the project Ecorys contributed to:

• Inform Decision-Making: Through collecting data, research, and consulting stakeholders to better align SBEP with EU and regional blue economy goals and European context.
• Enhance Effectiveness: Refining SBEPs Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) through desk research and collaborative thematic workshops.
• Foster Collaboration: Promoting cooperation in regional sea basins through workshops to strengthen the SBEP’s role in international research and innovation.
• Recommend Future Action: Providing recommendations to shape future activities for SBEP, consolidating insights in a validation workshop.

The recommendations of the study can be summarised as recommendations for the SBEP as follows:

• Stakeholder Engagement: Acknowledge and cater to different levels of stakeholder involvement, engage terrestrial actors, and utilize intermediaries as ambassadors.
• Priority Alignment: Align sea-basin priorities with Europe-wide goals and refine positioning vis-à-vis Horizon Europe and Mission Ocean.
• Awareness and Communication: Step up awareness among beneficiaries, implement a targeted two-way communication strategy, and engage stakeholders in call preparation.
• Cooperation and Coordination: Strengthen national and regional cooperation, and address challenges in involving third countries while leveraging existing institutional cooperation.