What is the 'Better Off Blue Event Series'?

The Better Off Blue ONLINE Event Series is a collaborative effort between three Interreg BSR projects, spearheaded by the SUBMARINER Network for Blue Growth. It will:

Facilitate active discussions on the State of Play of the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy 2021, focusing on questions such as ‘What has been achieved?’; ‘What are the new issues we now have to tackle?’ and ‘What can and should be done to bring the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy to the next level?’
Present and gather feedback on the ‘Baltic Blue Bioeconomy Roadmap 2021-2030’ (developed under the Blue Platform project)
Bring together the various stakeholder groups to go above and beyond project-level and sector thinking – all events will foster transdisciplinary interaction
Integrate the sustainability triad of environmental, social and economic considerations into the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy
Showcase and strengthen Baltic Blue Bioeconomy's common goals and partnerships within the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; the Decade for Ocean Science; the European Green Deal; Farm to Fork; Biodiversity Strategies; the EU4Ocean initiative; the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and many more.

The Baltic Blue Bioeconomy Roadmap 2030

The SUBMARINER Compendium (published in 2012) was the very first comprehensive assessment of the potential of innovative and sustainable uses of Baltic marine resources. The subsequent SUBMARINER Roadmap (first published in 2013) presented eleven strategic action fields to reach the objectives of the 2030 vision for a blue-green economy in the Baltic Sea Region. This Roadmap has been very successful and influential. It has provided the strategic framework for all projects implemeted within and around the SUBMARINER Network over the past seven years. In light of the results of these projects as well as changing external conditions, it was now high time to update this roadmap, in order to guide the work of the SUBMARINER Network within the coming years.

With the support of the Interreg BSR Blue Platform project, a new version has been developed looking forward to 2030. It takes stock of what has been achieved over the past years; incorporates the findings from a wide range of funded projects and considers new external developments. On that basis it showcases the new topics and actions necessary to be prioritized in the coming years by all relevant actors. The Roadmap and its Executive Summary can be downloaded here (to be published after summer 2021).

The results from the presentations and discussions of the Better Off Blue Online Event Series on the Roadmap for the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy 2030 will directly inform the JOINT DECLARATION of all SUBMARINER actors. This will outline actors, achievements and remaining gaps of the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy up to 2021, mid-and long-term goals for sustainable Blue Growth and the steps necessary to achieve them. The JOINT Declaration will be promoted among all key actors in the Baltic Sea Region and will be available for download here.

Topics

The Event Series will focus on all topics relevant to the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy: Macroalgae Innovative aquaculture technologies & products for food & feed Sustainable mussel harvesting for feed & food Maritime Spatial Planning & optimal siting for the Blue Bioeconomy Multi-Use Blue Bioeconomy Legislation & Regulation Novel products Environmental Services & Benefits Start-up pitching & the Alliance+ Blue Growth Accelerator Marine Litter Blue Biotechnology Ocean Literacy Youth in the Blue Bioeconomy

1 March 2021 - Roundtable with Funding Programmes

We are inviting a number of European as well as national funding programmes to discuss the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy and to assess how funding programmes can shape its future, using the Executive Summary of the Roadmap for the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy 2030. The Event will be moderated with several panellists. All participants will be given an active role to discuss freely:

How the Roadmap Recommendations fit into their programmes
Comments on the Roadmap
Funding Programme plans for the future
Actions for the future
Collaborations between funding programmes
Support for a Joint Declaration

The Event will be by invitation only and registration will open soon. For more information, please contact Lisa Simone de Grunt This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

18 March 2021 - Launch of the Baltic Sustainable Aquaculture Working Group

We are inviting key representatives from selected aquaculture companies, technology providers, researchers and public authorities involved in promoting innovative and sustainable forms of fish and shrimp aquaculture in the Baltic Sea region to form a dedicated transnational working group.

This will be a bottom-up, preparatory meeting to shape and gather feedback on the role, structure and first steps of the working group, for example whether to establish a Baltic mirror platform under the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EATIP), featuring guest speakers from EATIP, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and our very own Efthalia Arvaniti. These will be followed by a feedback session and follow-up survey.

The event is scheduled for 10:00-12:00 CET on 18th March. Register here.

If you are unable to attend, please indicate your availability via this Doodle poll and we will try to set up a small warm-up round the week before.

An overview of topics can be found on the attached flyer, and we will share the agenda shortly before the meeting. For more information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

24-25 March 2021 - Alliance+ presents Better Off Blue - Better-Off-Blue Business Match-making event

When? 9:30 - 14:00 CET

Where? Online

The Better-Off-Blue Business & Matchmaking event brings together innovators, researchers, e ntrepreneurs and investors from Blue Bioeconomy sectors in the Baltic Sea Region and beyond. With the aim to bring new blue innovative and sustainable solutions to the market that solve both global and regional challenges, this event connects innovators to resources and expertise to accelerate product development and technology transfer. In addition, through industry-led panel discussions and roundtables we will mark the trends and needs for products and solutions in the Baltic Sea Region and discuss how innovation and entrepreneurship can be better supported.

Central role in this event will be played by our established community of partners, mentors, investors, current and alumni cases, and other supporters that have significantly contributed to the development, piloting and operationalisation of the Blue Growth Mentoring Programme & Accelerator since 2016, previously known as the Baltic Blue Biotech Alliance (co-financed by the Interreg BSR).

Contact: Efthalia Arvaniti This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

20 April 2021 - Technology for the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy

Many production practices within blue/green bioeconomy are still linear and end with production of wastes, emissions and pollution in air, water and on land.

While we have some success in recycling of municipal and food waste, there is still a largely untapped resource in reusing carbon, nutrients, water and energy for covering local and regional needs, e.g. in food, feed, chemicals, materials and energy. To expand and support a biobased economy, new designs for closing the nutrient cycle locally are needed.

In this project, we want to visualise supply chain management with three examples:

RAS production of finfish
Diverse blue biomass
Industrial symbiosis / agricultural integrations

These will be broken down, analysed and streamlined from the following five cross-sectoral perspectives:

digitalization, AI, blockchain
definition of products, access to markets
side-streams, energy, circular economy
permissions, certification, social acceptance
business ecosystem development

This event is by invitation only, but you are more than welcome to contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. should you wish to participate, and we will do our best to accommodate you.

27 April 2021 - Maritime Spatial Planning and the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy

As the Blue Bioeconomy flourishes in the Baltic Sea, BSR countries are increasingly considering the spatial dimensions of these activities, including optimal siting considerations and the potential for multi-use combinations. In this online workshop, participants will learn about the current ‘State of Play’ regarding how Blue Bioeconomy sectors (e.g. aquaculture, seaweed cultivation, mussel cultivation, reed & beach cast) are considered in Baltic maritime spatial plans, as well as exchange with one another regarding how data and information can be more efficiently collected in an effective system for identification and monitoring of Blue Bioeconomy sites.

This online workshop is organised as a joint activity of the Capacity4MSP project, which aims to strengthen the capacity of maritime spatial planning stakeholders, policy- and decision-makers through intensified dialogue activities and amplifying gained knowledge in MSP, and the Interreg BSR BlueBioSites Seed money project, which aims to develop a BSR-wide project that will develop an effective system for identification and monitoring of Blue Bioeconomy sites. Both projects are co-financed by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme.

The workshop is relevant for a range of Baltic Blue bioeconomy actors including MSP authorities, ministries and authorities responsible for licensing and permitting of Blue Bioeconomy activities, and SMEs (e.g. mussel farm operators etc). Specifically, the workshop will gather input and feedback on the ‘State of Play’ report capturing the state of blue bioeconomy siting, developed as part of BlueBioSites.

4 May 2021 - Baltic Marine Litter

Our next Better Off Blue workshop will address the issue of marine litter in the Baltic Sea Region. Together with various project leads, including HELCOM, we will present and discuss past and ongoing projects to tackle marine litter in the BSR and their interim conclusions on future needs. Our colleagues from VLIZ will provide inspiration on marine litter projects undertaken in the NorthSea.

The aim of the Baltic Marine Litter workshop is to align interests among members of the SUBMARINER Network and to connect with other activities. The workshop serves as a pre-meeting of the SUBMARINER Marine Litter Working Group to get an overview of what is out there; to get a joint understanding of what is needed in the future; who should and wants to be involved and to assess which opportunities are/will be available to tackle marine litter in the Baltic Sea Region. More information about the topic of marine litter at the SUBMARINER Network can be found here.

For more information, please contact Susanne Alvater at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

6-7 May 2021 - GRASS presents Better Off Blue - Baltic Macroalgae Conference

Macroalgae are game-changing biomass resources for producing food, cosmetics and energy without competing for arable land, depleting fresh water and adding fertiliser. However, the sector is still in its infancy in the Baltic Sea Region and there is a lack of in-depth and wide-spread knowledge on the potential benefits of macroalgae. The GRASS project conference will gather experts, from the Baltic Sea and beyond, with knowledge, initiatives, stories and practices. The aim to place seaweed in the heart of the Baltic Sea Region, to raise awareness, also among public authorities, on the arising benefits and opportunities of macroalgae and pave the way for future innovation and product development. For this the conference will give voice to the triple helix of innovation - industry, academia and government. During the conference, delegates will have the opportunity to elaborate on a developing position paper, a draft of which will be pre-circulated by the GRASS project partners.

When? 9:30 - 14:00 CET

Where? Online

Agenda and registration via the event page here

Contact: Efthalia Arvaniti This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Why should you join?

The Event Series will bring together a wide range of actors from across Blue Bioeconomy sectors, including those from the public, private and research domain throughout the Baltic Sea Region to showcase advances, create synergies and stimulate active cooperation between the multitude of ongoing projects and initiatives in the region. Actors include but are not limited to:

Policy-makers: including EU, Baltic as well as national and regional
Academia: including universities and research institutions
Industry: including large-scale companies as well as SMEs, start-ups, practitioners, entrepreneurs, micro-companies, business support organisations and clusters
NGOs: including EU, Baltic level as well as smaller organisations
Youth: including students and younger change-makers
General public

To get new ideas and inspiration
To kickstart new collaborations
To showcase a project or ongoing work
Knowledge- and experience exchange
To do your part in bringing the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy to the next level
To be an active part of the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy Community
Discuss current and future strategies for advancing the Blue Bioeconomy in the Baltic Sea Region
Make the most of excellent networking and matchmaking opportunities
Discover the latest developments in the Blue Bioeconomy in the Baltic Sea Region

Who is involved?

Spearheaded by the SUBMARINER Network for Blue Growth, the Better Off Blue Event Series is organised with support from all project partners of the Interreg BSR projects Blue Platform, Alliance+ and GRASS, as well as from the members of the SUBMARINER Network and many other external actors, presented here:

text

Would you like to know more?

If you would like to be involved in the Better Off Blue Event Series and are keen to further develop the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy, there are opportunities to join the Events as a panellist, speaker, note-taker or as a general participant. To ensure active participation and real discussions, registration is on a confirmation-basis. For any questions about Better Off Blue contact Lisa Simone de Grunt: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SUBMARINER Network for Blue Growth EEIG

Kärntener Str. 20
DE–10827 Berlin

Germany

+4930832141740

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.