The international projects of the Innovation Fund, INNOVABLUE (Innovation Network for Sustainable Blue Economy in the ADRION Region) and ROBONETCBC (Developing an Innovation Network for Robotics and Sensors in Environmental Monitoring), were presented during a two-day seminar held on November 18-19 in Podgorica. The seminar, titled “Shaping Montenegro’s Blue Economy – Lessons and Experiences from the Apulia Region for a Sustainable Future,” focused on applying the Apulia Region’s best practices in implementing the Blue Vision 2030 Strategy. The seminar was organized by the Ministry of Economic Development in cooperation with partners from Italy and Albania, as part of the small-scale project “B-VISA 2030 – Blue Vision by 2030 in the Southern Adriatic”, funded under the IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Program for the Southern Adriatic (2021–2027).
During the first day of the seminar, the Puglia Region’s experiences in planning and preparing the Blue Vision 2030 Strategy were presented, followed by a panel discussion on Montenegro’s strategic framework for developing the blue economy. The discussion also highlighted synergies with strategies for tourism development, innovation, smart specialization, and maritime industries.
On the second day, opportunities for EU funding of territorial and cross-border programs and initiatives contributing to the development of the blue and circular economy were presented. Ongoing projects in the blue economy, funded by EU programs and implemented by the Montenegrin Chamber of Commerce, the Innovation Fund of Montenegro, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering (University of Montenegro), and the Institute of Marine Biology (University of Montenegro) were also showcased.
The seminar was attended by 40 stakeholders from the “quadruple helix” model, including eight representatives from partner institutions in Italy and Albania. The exchange of experiences and interactive discussions among all relevant actors are expected to significantly contribute to the successful definition of a joint Action Plan for the development of the blue economy in the program area.
More information about the seminar is available at: LINK
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