Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SBEP (A climate neutral, sustainable and productive blue economy Partnership)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-09-01 al 2025-02-28
The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) supports a just and inclusive transition to a regenerative and climate-neutral blue economy by 2030, aligning national and EU R&I priorities through co-funded calls and structuring activities that strengthen science-policy interfaces and ocean health. With an expanded consortium of 75 partners from 30 countries, SBEP aims to launch six co-funded calls and develop structuring additional activities, foster innovation, align funding streams, and build a long-term community of practice to upscale impact and promote the EU blue economy globally.
In line with the EC new approach for a sustainable blue economy in the EU, the SBEP rolls-out impact pathways to: catalyse the transformation of ocean economy value chains; deliver ocean knowledge and impact-driven R&I solutions; cooperate to respond to international, EU and national regulations, recommendations and policy strategies; contribute to the social and digital transition by developing innovative governance frameworks that benefit coastal communities, including by reinforcing skills and enhance ocean observation capacity contributing to EOOS and GEOSS.
In line with the EC new approach for a sustainable blue economy in the EU, the SBEP rolls-out impact pathways to: catalyse the transformation of ocean economy value chains; deliver ocean knowledge and impact-driven R&I solutions; cooperate to respond to international, EU and national regulations, recommendations and policy strategies; contribute to the social and digital transition by developing innovative governance frameworks that benefit coastal communities, including by reinforcing skills and enhance ocean observation capacity contributing to EOOS and GEOSS.
During the first reporting period (RP1), i.e. in its first 30 months of activities, the Partneship has fully implemented its mandate in the framework of the Grant Agreement by publishing and following-up two joint transnational calls for RI proposals as well as developing all structuring, co-design activities. Since the starting of the Top-up AMD Grant Agreement, the Additional Activities initiated, delivering among other things the first transnational access call to Research Infrastructures. Overall, out of 42/72 foreseen deliverables/milestones in RP1, 41/67 have been submitted/achieved and 1/5 pending/postponed. Below, the activities are summarized per Work Package.
WP1-The Partnership was effectively coordinated and managed, ensuring smooth internal operations and external engagement. Key efforts included fostering data openness, supporting governance structures, and strengthening international cooperation and through strategic outreach and widening initiatives according to the relevant roadmap.
WP2- Strategic planning activities focused on refining and publishing the updated version of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda. This included the development of procedural tools, organization of thematic workshops, and definition of intervention areas for subsequnt calls (JC #1-2-3). Preparations were also made for the transition to the next phases of the Partnership, including the creation of a new implementation plan and restructuring of expert advisory groups.
WP3 - Implementation efforts centered on the preparation and execution of two joint calls. This involved designing the call architecture, integrating cross-cutting priorities, and aligning with broader policy goals. A digital platform was launched to manage submissions and evaluations, supported by tailored user access and applicant services. Promotional activities, transparent evaluation procedures, and structured feedback mechanisms ensured broad participation and high-quality proposal assessment. Additionally, new call formats were explored to support future innovation and integration with other funding instruments leading in the second phase of the Partnership to the publication of the first transnational access call to Research Infrastructures.
WP4 - A unified Monitoring and Evaluation framework to track SBEP project outcomes using shared KPIs and tools was established. It fostered cross-border cooperation by aligning evaluation practices across participating countries.
WP5 - Action line on communication and dissemination enhanced the Partnership’s visibility and engagement by aligning communication efforts, translating scientific results for broader audiences, and fostering cross-sectoral collaboration. Its outreach activities strengthened public trust, knowledge sharing, and a shared European identity. A public Symposium was organized in Q1 2024.
WP6 - Through Building the Community, the Partnership’s visibility has been expanded by fostering regional (with three workshops organized), European and international collaboration, aligning policy efforts, and coordinating stakeholder engagement through strategic nodes and the Brussels Cellule.
WP7 - Guidelines for the Impact Pathway approach and Open Science were made mandatory in Calls 1 and 2, alongside the definition of KPIs, training for project implementation, support for market uptake, science-policy integration, and mapping of human capacity needs—all aimed at maximizing project impact and effective monitoring.
WP8 - Supports was given to the alignment and synergy of national and EU funding streams, offering guidance on leveraging financial resources and in-kind contributions. Mutual learning through events and tools was also facilitated, leading to successful engagement of new funders like the Emilia-Romagna Region. Relevant Additional Activities, including Thematic Annual Porgramming, Alignment of Monitoring Programmes and Sharing Research Infrastructures, were planned and started up.
WP1-The Partnership was effectively coordinated and managed, ensuring smooth internal operations and external engagement. Key efforts included fostering data openness, supporting governance structures, and strengthening international cooperation and through strategic outreach and widening initiatives according to the relevant roadmap.
WP2- Strategic planning activities focused on refining and publishing the updated version of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda. This included the development of procedural tools, organization of thematic workshops, and definition of intervention areas for subsequnt calls (JC #1-2-3). Preparations were also made for the transition to the next phases of the Partnership, including the creation of a new implementation plan and restructuring of expert advisory groups.
WP3 - Implementation efforts centered on the preparation and execution of two joint calls. This involved designing the call architecture, integrating cross-cutting priorities, and aligning with broader policy goals. A digital platform was launched to manage submissions and evaluations, supported by tailored user access and applicant services. Promotional activities, transparent evaluation procedures, and structured feedback mechanisms ensured broad participation and high-quality proposal assessment. Additionally, new call formats were explored to support future innovation and integration with other funding instruments leading in the second phase of the Partnership to the publication of the first transnational access call to Research Infrastructures.
WP4 - A unified Monitoring and Evaluation framework to track SBEP project outcomes using shared KPIs and tools was established. It fostered cross-border cooperation by aligning evaluation practices across participating countries.
WP5 - Action line on communication and dissemination enhanced the Partnership’s visibility and engagement by aligning communication efforts, translating scientific results for broader audiences, and fostering cross-sectoral collaboration. Its outreach activities strengthened public trust, knowledge sharing, and a shared European identity. A public Symposium was organized in Q1 2024.
WP6 - Through Building the Community, the Partnership’s visibility has been expanded by fostering regional (with three workshops organized), European and international collaboration, aligning policy efforts, and coordinating stakeholder engagement through strategic nodes and the Brussels Cellule.
WP7 - Guidelines for the Impact Pathway approach and Open Science were made mandatory in Calls 1 and 2, alongside the definition of KPIs, training for project implementation, support for market uptake, science-policy integration, and mapping of human capacity needs—all aimed at maximizing project impact and effective monitoring.
WP8 - Supports was given to the alignment and synergy of national and EU funding streams, offering guidance on leveraging financial resources and in-kind contributions. Mutual learning through events and tools was also facilitated, leading to successful engagement of new funders like the Emilia-Romagna Region. Relevant Additional Activities, including Thematic Annual Porgramming, Alignment of Monitoring Programmes and Sharing Research Infrastructures, were planned and started up.
While it is still early to evaluate the outcomes of the first co-funded projects, important groundwork has been laid to guide their implementation. The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership highlights the importance of cross-sector collaboration and private sector engagement to close the innovation-to-market gap and support the EU’s competitiveness. Notably, a significant number of the 43 funded projects include private companies, laying a strong foundation for market-oriented innovation. The Partnership also promotes business readiness by encouraging projects to develop clear value propositions and viable business models, while leveraging EU platforms like BlueInvest to support commercialization and scaling of solutions aligned with SDG 14 and the 2030 Agenda.