CNR-INM | Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche | Istituto di Ingegneria del Mare
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segreteria.inm@cnr.it

Blue Growth

Scope

Blue Growth (BG) is the long term strategy to support sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sectors. Seas and oceans are drivers for the European economy and have great potential for innovation and growth. It is the maritime contribution to achieving the goals of the Europe 2021-2028 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

The strategy consists in the development of new sectors that have a high potential for sustainable jobs and growth, such as: marine biotechnology, marine renewable energies, aquaculture, maritime & coastal tourism and seabed mining reinforcing at the same time the consolidated traditional marine sectors which are naval transport, fishery, shipbuilding & ship repair and offshore oil & gas.

Blue Growth gives also the essential components to provide knowledge, legal certainty and security in the blue economy in the sea basin strategies to ensure tailor-made measures and to foster cooperation between countries (Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and North Sea).

Researchers at CNR-INM support many initiatives and European projects involved in the ‘Blue’ strategy working in closed collaborations with different Marine Institutes of the CNR departments (DTA, DIITET).
The CNR-INM actively participates in the Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) of the Blue Med initiative, it is actor of the Italian Cluster BIG devoted to the implementation of BG strategies and technological roadmaps stretching the connection between Italian companies and public research institutes and it is also part of the technological platform Waterborne.
The Blue Growth EU strategy, sectors of interest and strategic basins

Selected projects

BLUEMED CSA
Coordinated by the CNR, leading a Consortium of 11 partners, the BLUEMED H2020 project sets, for the first time in the whole Mediterranean Basin, the scene for the long-term effective coordination of marine and maritime research and innovation activities, consolidating networks and establishing mechanisms.
The BLUEMED CSA facilitates cooperation in all Mediterranean countries, in order to promote the alignment of Programmes and Strategies and pooling of resources and investments, creating the conditions for new opportunities to develop joint activities. BLUEMED web site: http://www.bluemed-initiative.eu/

MISTRAL Interreg-Med
MISTRAL is aimed to promoting and implementing transnational BG ecosystem of innovation with the joint effort of RTOs, public bodies and Clusters. In accordance with the BLUEMED Initiative, MISTRAL acts to i) limit the fragmentation of actions and regional policies in the sea sector; ii) strengthen the transnational cooperation creating the critical mass for succeeding in the R&D actions; iii) support the development of a favorable ecosystem for a BG governance and common vision; iv) build a competitive, sustainable and innovative maritime economy supported by a new cross sectoral multi-nodal “value-nets” providing high quality jobs. MISTRAL partners are 8 MED countries which CNR is one of the Italian partners. MISTRAL web site: https://mistral.interreg-med.eu/

ITEM
ITEM is a Cluster BIG project coordinated by CNR. The project is aimed to arrange actions and design instruments for the development of new technologies necessary to fill the Italian technological gap also validating, by experimental tests, the technologies already available for the safeguard and valorization of the marine environment.

TEOREMA
The project in the frame of the Cluster BIG is a joint project performed by the CNR, the Italian National Agency for the New Technologies, ENEA, Politecnico di Torino, ENEL Green Power and Fincantieri Oil & Gas, and one of the first university spin-off companies that project and test marine energy converters (Wave for Energy).
TEOREMA is focused on Blue Economy and its primary objective is to define the concept for two different technologically innovative offshore platforms for energy production from wind, solar radiation, waves and MFC (Microbial Fuel Cell), also accounting for their feasibility and sustainability and implementing suitable tools for business planning. TEOREMA sustains the design and testing activities necessary for technological innovation in the field of offshore energy production and fosters collaborations between research institutions and enterprises in order to support Italy’s competitiveness and technological advancement in the sustainable us of marine resources.

LIFE4MEDECA
The Preparatory Project LIFE4MEDECA – Support for the preparation of Emission Control Areas (ECA) in the Mediterranean Sea (LIFE20 PRE/IT/000002) started on January 1st 2021. The scope of the project is to stimulate a consensus building in EU and non-EU Countries on the usefulness of designating the Mediterranean as a maritime Emission Control Area.
The project partners are: Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Tirreno Centro Settentrionale (IT, project coordinator), 3D4EU SRL (IT), CNR (IT), GTD (DK), ISL (DE), UNIMAR (IT), CIMNE (ES), MDI (Israel). LIFE4MEDECA website: http://uniondelosoceanos.com/life4medeca-en

People

Research Scientists and Engineers
Elena Ciappi,
Cecilia Leotardi,
Claudio Lugni,
Research Fellows
Elena Paifelman,

Useful links