Name of Project: “Digital Blue Economy and Innovation Acceleration Network” DBAN, funded by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 2014 – 2021.
Project consortium:
- Burgas Municipality – leading partner and coordinator, Bulgaria
- Southeast Digital Innovation Hub Burgas, Bulgaria
- Odessa State Agrarian University, Odessa, Ukraine
- International Business and Economy Development Center, Batumi, Georgia
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The project idea is based on the concept of creating a regional network to accelerate blue growth – a based ecosystem that supports existing and emerging enterprises and initiatives in the blue economy sectors, based on their potential for innovation, circular and bio-based solutions, as well as their contribution to local and regional performance indicators for the sustainable development of the blue
economy in the Black Sea region.
Key project objectives are:
- Create Digital Blue Innovation Acceleration network to support blue growth initiatives in the partnering regions of Bulgaria, Georgia and Ukraine
- Мobilize resources (knowledge, methodology support, partnership, funding, ) to support SMEs in the field of blue economy traditional and emerging sectors
- Facilitate and foster regional investment in Black Sea Economy
- Create supportive and entrepreneurial environment and provide facilities, mentorship and training
- Nurture existing and inspire potential entrepreneurship in the region
- Boost development of blue economy growth, provide a structured capacity building and cocreation support for SMEs in the region
- Create opportunities for commercialization and internationalization of sustainable green and blue solutions and innovations
What is the problem/challenge addressed by this project? – Why?
The project aims to create a digital network for the acceleration of digital blue innovations, which will support and commercialize initiatives for blue growth in the three partner regions of Bulgaria, Georgia and Ukraine, aimed at the need to mobilize resources (knowledge, market skills, partnerships, funding) to support SMEs in the blue economy traditional and emerging sectors and in their green and digital transition towards a more sustainable and intelligent use and management of resources.
Why does it matter, why is it important to fund such a project? What does it/will it change for EU citizens?
This intervention is considered fundamental in facilitating and fostering regional investment in Black Sea Economy by first creating supportive and entrepreneurial environment and providing facilities, infrastructures, mentorship and training to nurture existing and inspire potential entrepreneurship in the region in assisting with achieving one of the major goals of the CMA – the transition to a competitive, innovative and sustainable blue economy for the Black sea that fosters investment in innovative blue economy SME’s and start-ups.
The project elaborates on empowering the triangular interaction between the region specific context which identifies coastal and maritime tourism, maritime transport, prevention of marine litter and preservation of marine resources and protection areas, marine renewable energies sectors among the significant ones to boost the development of blue economy growth, a structured capacity building and co-creation support for SMEs in the region and the opportunities for commercialization and internationalization of sustainable green and blue solutions and innovations at Black Sea Basin level.
What are the main activities of the project (if ongoing)?
What is the project doing to overcome the challenge (main activities)?
Among the main project activities are
In WP2 we develop Regional Blue Growth strategy with local smart specialization Action plans that will identify and tackle local capacity building needs and potential for smart blue innovation and smart specialization
In WP3 we develop Digital Blue innovation Acceleration platform
- A decentralized repository of open data for the identification, registration and support of the search for resources (tools, services, data or documents) useful for intensifying innovations in the Black Sea regions
- Provide digital tools for enhanced capacity of Blue Economy actors
- Develop stakeholder capacity to establish/enhance concrete cooperation and networking approaches
- Integrate, educate, support and disseminate, and promote citizen participation
- Accelerate innovation (market uptake and scale up of innovative solutions)
In WP4 we organize BLUE INNOVATIONS HACKATHONS IN BURGAS, BATUMI, ODESSA
- boost innovation and digitalization in blue economy sectors
- build and explore the potential for SMEs/start-ups in developing sustainable blue economy
- contribute to the objectives of the CMA
- winning pilot projects to provide sustainable solutions that green, decarbonize and digitalize the Blue economy sectors
- winning finalists go through a mentorship and incubation program developing, modeling and testing their pilots and developing business plan
In WP5 we aim to Increase the Capacity for Blue Economy Actors
- Focus on SMEs to harness the potential of digital technologies to innovate and improve their interaction
- blended digital courses on digital skills and competences
- preparation and execution of the mentoring scheme in a real environment
- an acceleration service that aims to lead local concepts to commercialization phase
- improve the efficiency of their work and the quality of services offered to clients
In WP6 the project consortium will develop web application for blue economy SMEs and start-ups (BluEcoTour.com)
- Web portal and Mobile app for Android and IOs systems
- help SMEs and start-ups of Ukraine, Bulgaria and Georgia in developing their businesses (especially in the context of integration to tourist sector)
- promote services and improve capacity for blue economy market integration
- identify and involve into potential public/private investors
- Web portal and Mobile app for Android and IOs systems
- help SMEs and start-ups of Ukraine, Bulgaria and Georgia in developing their businesses
(especially in the context of integration to tourist sector) - promote services and improve capacity for blue economy market integration
- identify and involve into potential public/private investors
In WP7 each partner organizes Blue Innovation expos and smart specialization conferences one in each city – Burgas, Batumi, Odessa
- Promote innovative green and blue businesses and hackathon winners
- Network and brokerage events to foster co-creation and cooperation
- Improve the visibility of investment opportunities in the Black Sea blue economy and capacity of public/private investors to identify SMEs and start-ups
- Bring together blue economy stakeholders in the Black Sea Basin to analyze and identify local potential for Blue growth cooperation and innovation
- Boost capacity building and investment in the region
Please provide key concrete results of the project? What is the impact of the project (on the economy, society, environment etc.) (when project is over)?
Cite key achievements of the project (concrete results such a “prototype”, a “product”….). What are the longer-term impacts of the project after EU intervention? + use numbers/indicators if possible: i.e. nb of jobs (FTE) created, nb of patents, nb of products developed, spatial extent of area protected or restored (hectares), removal of marine litter (in tons), new university curricula, new standards etc…
The project will also track the number of participants in each event, the number of consulted entrepreneurs and companies that took part in the mentorship program, the number of participants in the digital educational modules, number of registered exhibitors at the expo events, the number of users and visitors of the digital platform DBAN and the users of the web and mobile app BlueEcoTour.
The targets are the following:
- 60 participants in the 3 competitions and 3 hackathons
- 90 companies exhibiting at the 3 expo events
- 10 000 hits to the digital platform
- 300 participants in the training digital modules and courses
The target value of the digi hub platform users is: 10 000 interested visitors.
An estimated 30 providers of innovative products / services per country are taken into account as exhibitors in the national Blue Innovation Expo events, while 1,000 persons are expected to participate as visitors and guests to the related events (presentations, conferences).
The project impact is measured by achieving the specific objectives by implementing the measurable targets and indicators. These are for:
SO1 – Identification and improved visibility and participation of potential actors and value chains to advance digital and environmentally sustainable blue economy models at Black sea level
- The organization of 3 two-day Hackathons in each partner city
- 3 winning projects finalists of local innovation competiotions will be supported for implementation and with business acceleration mentorship program in each country.
- 3 Blue Economy Expos and 3 Thematic Smart Specialization Conferences will be held in each country promoting innovation potential and investment opportunities in the region.
- 1 regional digital catalogue/portfolio of investment opportunities, available infrastructures, products and services in Blue economy sectors will be developed
SO2 – Development of digital tools for enhanced capacity of Blue Economy actors
- 2 Blended courses regarding digital skills and use of the ITC tools developed within the project with 30-hours of training.
- Developed 1 website BluEcoTour.com and 1 mobile application to promote the maritime tourism and tourist services of the Black sea region
SO3 – Development of stakeholder capacity to establish/enhance concrete cooperation and networking approaches
- Creation of a Digital Blue economy and innovation acceleration network and platform
- Development of 1 regional Black sea Blue Growth strategy with 3 local Blue growth smart specialization action plans
Does the project contribute to a specific EU policy? If so which one and how?
Most of all, the proposal is centered around addressing the major priority of the call to identify and tackle local capacity building needs and potential for smart blue innovation and specialization elaborated in a regional strategy for Blue Growth. The structure of the project with the Baseline Study the planned project activities and the impact assessment program are all designed relevant to the scope of the call with main priority being boosting innovation, digitalization and investment in the
Black sea economy by building and exploring further the potential for SMEs/start-ups in developing sustainable blue economy contributing to the objectives of the CMA for green transition of the Blue sectors in the Black sea region by boosting digitalization and innovation and greening traditional sectors. By assuring the support it is expected to give a significant boost to the implementation of Common Maritime Agenda and Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda on Blue Growth in the Black Sea Region.
The project will boost innovation and digitalisation in blue economy sectors by organizing local Blue solutions and innovations competitions – Hackathons in each partner region. The selected 3 winning pilot activities will receive financial, technical, digital and administrative support to present, develop and implement a prototype to attract funding and investment and opportunities for commercialization and internationalization of their sustainable green and blue solutions. The participating pilot activities will be conceptualized to align with the European Green Deal objectives, the Digital Agenda and the EU Communication on Sustainable Blue Economy. The winning pilot solutions/activities will contribute to the just and green transition by providing sustainable solutions that green, decarbonize and digitalize the Blue growth businesses and sectors. The winning pilots and other innovative green and blue solutions will be promoted and their impact accessed and communicated during the three regional Blue Innovation expos and smart specialization conferences one in each partner region. Each partner will take part and present its local finalist and winning innovation pilots at each one of the partner Blue Innovation expos. The network and brokerage events that will take place during the expos and conferences will address the specific objective of the call to Improve the visibility of investment opportunities in the Black Sea blue economy and capacity of public/private investors to identify SMEs and start-ups.