About the SBEP
Launched in September 2022, the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) is a pioneering initiative dedicated to driving the transformation toward a climate-neutral, sustainable, productive, and competitive blue economy. With over 450 million euros in planned investments over seven years, the SBEP is a collaborative effort supported by 61 partner organizations across 26 countries, including non-EU nations. The European Union co-funds the Partnership through the Horizon Europe programme, with Italy’s Ministry of Universities and Research and Norway’s Research Council co-coordinating its efforts.
The SBEP’s mission is clear: to support a just and inclusive transition to a regenerative and resilient blue economy. By 2030, the Partnership aims to catalyze the transformations needed to build a sustainable and productive ocean economy. Looking ahead to 2050, the goal is to ensure that the ocean remains a thriving resource for future generations.
To achieve these ambitious objectives, the SBEP has planned six co-funded calls over its seven-year duration, focusing on key areas of intervention. The first of these, titled “The Way Forward: A Thriving Sustainable Blue Economy for a Brighter Future,” was launched to support transnational research and innovation projects spanning 36 months. These projects are focused on one of five critical priority areas:
- PA1: Planning and managing sea uses at the regional level
- PA2: Development of offshore marine multi-use infraestructures to support the blue economy
- PA3: Climate neutral, environmentally sustainable and resource efficient blue food and feed
- PA4: Green transition of blue food production
- PA5: Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO) test use cases at EU sea-basins and the Altantic Ocean
The Nineteen Projects & Blue Food Leading Innovations
The 19 projects selected under this first call represent a broad and innovative approach to the SBEP’s priority areas. Notably, the “Climate-neutral, environmentally sustainable, and resource-efficient blue food and feed” priority area led the way, with 12 of the 19 selected projects focusing on this crucial aspect of the blue economy.
Key highlights of the selected projects include:
- Geographic Coverage: Many projects address multiple sea-basins, including the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, and North Sea, while the Black Sea was the focus of two proposals.
- Gender Balance: Gender distribution among partners requesting funds is balanced, with 12 female and 7 male coordinators leading the projects.
- National Participation: Norway led with 26 participating organizations, followed by Italy (19), Spain (12), Sweden (12), France (11), Türkiye (11), Portugal (10), and Germany (10).
A detailed description of the selected projects can be consulted here.
Focus on Seafood Side-Stream Valorization
An emerging trend among the selected projects is the emphasis on seafood side-stream valorization—a process that transforms by-products from aquaculture and fisheries into high-value products. This includes nutritional supplements, bioactive compounds, and eco-friendly materials, which not only enhance resource efficiency but also reduce environmental impacts and increase the resilience of the EU seafood industry.
Among the 12 projects focused on blue food and feed, five stand out for their dedication to seafood side-stream valorization: BLUEEAYSE, RE-BLUE, SEAREFINERY, WASTE2TASTE, and FOODIMAR.
Over the next 36 months, FOODIMAR will seek to establish connections and foster collaborate with these projects and other EU-wide initiatives working on this topic to foster collaboration and knowledge transfer, aiming to share good practices and lessons learned to accelerate innovation and the adoption of sustainable side-stream valorization practices across the European seafood industry, and beyond.
SBEP Symposium February 2024
The SBEP’s first symposium was held on February 13-14, 2024, in Brussels. The event gathered representatives from partner organizations and stakeholders from the scientific, policy, and private sectors to discuss the newly funded projects, upcoming funding opportunities, and future research and innovation priorities.
During the symposium, the 19 selected projects were showcased in a poster exhibition, with five projects featured in a panel discussion. The event was a vibrant mix of panel discussions, conferences, and even performances of sailor songs, reflecting the diverse and dynamic nature of the blue economy sector.
Looking forward to staying updated on the SBEP’s activities and the progress of these groundbreaking projects, particularly those leading the way in the sustainable transformation of the blue economy!
