Revitalisation of European local communities with innovative business models and social innovation in the blue bio-based sector.

Project Information

BlueRev

Grant agreement ID: 101060537

DOI

10.3030/101060537

Project closed

EC signature date 23 May 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2025

Funded under

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Total cost

€ 2 222 952,50

EU contribution

€ 2 222 952,50

Coordinated by

AGENZIA PER LA PROMOZIONE DELLA RICERCA EUROPEA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BlueRev (Revitalisation of European local communities with innovative business models and social innovation in the blue bio-based sector.)

Reporting period: 2024-03-01 to 2025-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The BlueRev project defines a new paradigm for revitalising the blue bioeconomy in local communities through social innovation, business models, and governance models. Piloted in Denmark/Greenland, Italy, and Estonia,it analysed selected bio-based value chains to identify social and economic barriers and opportunities, supporting improved governance and business models, and promoting environmentally responsible behaviours.
The project assessed value chains across these three dimensions, identifying barriers, potentials, and local capacities (feedstocks, infrastructure, human skills, innovation actors, and community knowledge), while promoting socially and environmentally responsible behaviour through education, policy support, and stakeholder engagement.
Stakeholders—including local authorities, SMEs, producers, researchers, and civil society—were mobilised through workshops, interviews, training, and awareness activities, supported by the online Support Tool as a central platform for collaboration.
BlueRev pursued seven specific objectives:
SO1 To engage local communities of stakeholders to analyse social and economic barriers and potentialities, to improve awareness and communication for increase the collaboration along the bio-based value chain
SO2 To analyse social and economic barriers and potentialities in pilot regions to enable the transition towards socially and environmentally responsible behavior through new informed governance and social innovation
SO3 To assess existing/develop monitoring systems and indicators of the effectiveness of governance schemes, to analyse pilot regions, and to allow replication across the EU
SO4 To analyse and develop business models, local capacities and innovation actors to enable sufficient impacts and performances of the value chains
SO5 To evaluate the environmental footprint of the value chains of pilot regions, through LCA analysis
SO6 To carry out training programs to increase skilled job opportunities and small-scale establishments in the bio-based sector and to support the development of communication of innovation for small businesses and for business-to-consumers.
SO7 To reach a sound impact of performed activities by involving all the stakeholders through a wide dissemination and awareness campaign

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Through extensive stakeholder engagement, BlueRev produced a comprehensive knowledge base and a set of practical solutions to advance sustainable blue bioeconomy models. The project established a strong analytical foundation by mapping governance systems, identifying innovation barriers, and developing datasets and business model analyses across the pilot regions.

Building on this analytical work, BlueRev developed new social innovation, business, and governance models through participatory workshops involving more than 990 stakeholders (518 unique contacts). These activities resulted in validated frameworks supporting the valorisation of marine side-streams, the integration of circular economy principles, and the strengthening of local and regional resilience. In parallel, dedicated tools and indicators supported stakeholder co-creation processes, while best-practice guidelines consolidated project results into transferable models suitable for replication across European regions.

On the application side, the project implemented a modular training programme comprising 24 lessons and engaging 546 participants, combining technical, managerial, and governance perspectives. The training materials, made accessible through the BlueRev Support Tool, support capacity building for SMEs, students, and policymakers. In addition, specific guidelines were developed to assist small businesses in effectively communicating innovation, climate neutrality, and sustainability to consumers.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

BlueRev delivered concrete advances across environmental, socio-economic, and innovation domains:
- Marine resource efficiency: validated methods for valorising marine by-products, supporting SDG 14.
- Sustainable business innovation: creation of circular models reducing waste and enabling new bio-based products (SDG 12).
- Empowered coastal communities: strengthened skills, entrepreneurship, and socio-economic resilience in remote areas (SDG 11).

Key insights for successful blue bioeconomy implementation include:
- Strengthening academia–industry–policy networks to accelerate uptake of innovation;
- Aligning stakeholders under shared governance visions;
- Balancing innovation and regulation to enhance legitimacy and public acceptance;
- Mobilising public–private partnerships and targeted training;
- Stimulating markets for blue bio-based products through adaptive policies;
- Fostering entrepreneurial experimentation across value chains.

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