BLUEfasma project - Empowering innovation capacity of SMEs, maritime clusters and networks in MED islands and coastal areas to support blue circular economy growth in fishing/aquaculture - is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg MED Programme 2014-2020 in the framework of the third call proposals for modular projects, under the Priority Axis 1.1 “To increase transnational activity of innovative clusters and networks of key sectors of the MED area”.

BLUEfasma integrates and implements Circular Economy (CE) principles in the key blue growth sector of fishing/aquaculture; to benefit Mediterranean insular, island and coastal areas in a novel, innovative way. The project team tackles the transnational challenge of continual depletion of natural resources that causes serious environmental, economic and social impacts. Its overall objective is to empower the innovation capacity of SMEs, maritime clusters/networks, Public Authorities to boost blue CE growth in insular, island and coastal areas.

Why the Mediterranean needs BLUEfasma?

• it changes the way businesses perform towards blue CE
• it will have long term effects in smart/sustainable growth
• it preserves environment
• it improves quality of life
• in Mediterranean insular/coastal areas fishing/aquaculture is a key blue growth economy sector highly affecting areas gross added value and employing a large percentage of Mediterranean population
• effective systematic work towards blue CE in the sector has been mainly in Northern Europe, while only individual Mediterranean activities are noted

The project started in November 2019 and ends in June 2022 and the BLUEfasma Consortium is composed of 14 partners.

BLUEfasma is following the quadruple helix approach involving actors representing the academia, public authorities, the private sector and the general public/NGOs/associations from 9 Mediterranean countries: Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro.