Better engaging citizens and stakeholders in ocean projects
With a budget of €4.9 million, Prep4Blue laid the foundations for broad collaboration within the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030. The project brought together researchers, policymakers and citizens to work on innovation and research. In this way, Prep4Blue is helping to protect and restore our oceans and waters.
From research to impact: tools for engagement
Prep4Blue has realised a set of practical tools that (can) help projects within the Ocean & Waters mission to actively engage stakeholders. These tools include:
- Online Toolbox: fact sheets detailing stakeholder participation methods;
- Guide to Stakeholder Engagement: practical instructions to involve various stakeholder groups in projects,
- Mission Helpdesk: answers frequently asked questions, provides expert support and capacity-building tools.
- Pilot Stakeholder Assemblies: testing participation methods in realistic situations to gather best practices.
- Skills & Capacities Recommendations: advice to develop skills and capacities for sustainable collaboration.
- Guidelines for Gender Equality & Inclusiveness: guidelines for organising events around co-creation in an inclusive and gender-equal manner.
- Helpdesk Log & Learning Analysis: overview of key insights from helpdesk activities.
- Stakeholder Engagement Report: analysis of results, lessons learned and recommendations for future projects.
Working together for our oceans
Using these tools, Prep4Blue wants to strengthen involvement in the European Ocean & Waters programme and thus accelerate co-creation between science, policy and citizens. The aim is to strengthen cooperation and support initiatives that really contribute to healthier oceans and waters.
Want to get started with stakeholder engagement in this theme yourself? All Prep4Blue tools, reports and recommendations are available for free via the links above.
Prep4Blue shows that successful ocean protection is not only about research and innovation, but especially about cooperation, connecting and daring to act together.
Blue Cluster as bridge builder
Within the European mission Restore our Ocean and Waters, a first phase looked across all European seas at how strategic cooperation could contribute to achieving the ambitious restoration and sustainability goals. From the very beginning, The Blue Cluster was actively involved in this mission and provided valuable input, particularly around involving the private sector and professional stakeholders in the blue economy.
The Prep4Blue project helped put Blue Cluster on the map as a key player in the research of effective methods to better engage professionals active in and around our seas and oceans. This included a leading expert workshop that explored how we can best connect professionals, gather their insights and engage them in making the marine system more sustainable. Today, the insights and methodologies from this phase form the basis for the more area-specific actions in phase two of the mission.
Blue Cluster continues to play a key role in this next phase as well, with a particular focus on the North Sea region. For instance, we co-organised the 2024 Mission Arena in Amsterdam, a crucial moment of knowledge sharing and matchmaking between various actors. Through our structural input, we not only strengthen cooperation within the North Sea basin, but also underline the importance of a strong, sustainable and inclusive blue economy, supported by an active business community.
