Four new projects have officially kicked off this month to create innovation hubs off the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, scale up sustainable algae farming and develop new algae products in Europe. With a total of EUR 5.7 million, they will help accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient blue economy in Europe’s seas and coastal regions.

The projects are funded under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund
(EMFAF), following the call for proposals for smart specialisation and regenerative ocean farming, launched in September 2024.

The EMFAF call focused on two key areas: 1) fostering Smart Specialisation Partnerships across EU sea basins 2) demonstrating the feasibility and environmental benefits of regenerative ocean farming.

These initiatives reflect the EU’s broader ambition to drive innovation, circularity and climate neutrality in the blue economy. The kick-off meeting between the project partners, the European Commission and CINEA took place on Friday 10 October.