Strategic input for the European Ocean R&I Strategy

Last week, Blue Cluster contributed to the development of the new European Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy during the first stakeholder meeting at the European Commission’s Berlaymont building in Brussels. The gathering brought together a broad group of marine stakeholders to help define the priorities and objectives of the future Ocean R&I Strategy.

Blue Cluster was represented by Kinnie De Beule, who took part in the panel “R&I for a Prosperous and Competitive Blue Economy.” The discussion highlighted how research and innovation can strengthen a competitive and sustainable blue economy.

Key themes included the role of sustainability as a competitive advantage, the acceleration of disruptive innovations, and the creation of new opportunities in both established and emerging maritime sectors. The engagement of coastal communities was also a central point of attention.

• Stronger innovation ecosystems for a competitive blue economy

Clusters play a crucial role in accelerating the path from research to market. They connect companies, governments and knowledge institutions, and support entrepreneurs in commercialisation and market uptake.

Blue Cluster therefore called for a policy framework that enables innovation rather than slows it down. Appointing an SBE coordinator in each Member State could help ensure more coherent and effective implementation of the strategy.

• More opportunities to test, scale and valorise innovations

To bring innovations to market faster, sufficient test zones, adaptive maritime spatial planning and clearly designated areas for commercialisation and innovation are essential.

Blue Cluster proposed exploring whether EU directives could formally recognise test and demonstration zones. Innovators need infrastructure where they can test technologies up to TRL 9, validate business models and scale more efficiently.

• Maripark as a lever for net-positive impact

Blue Cluster introduced the Maripark concept as an integrated solution linking innovation, sustainability and the marine economy. A Maripark contributes to energy security, biodiversity and food objectives, data management, monitoring, safety and maritime logistics.

The concept is built around delivering a net-positive impact on the marine environment. It is therefore important to view the sustainable blue economy as a means to achieve that net-positive impact, and not the other way around.

In the same spirit, nature-based solutions must not only deliver ecological benefits but also be financially viable. Only then will they attract investment and be applied at scale.

• Systemic and cross-sector collaboration is becoming the new norm;
• Marine challenges such as pollution, biodiversity loss and climate impacts are growing in urgency;
• Ocean R&I offers significant opportunities for breakthrough solutions;
• Scalable restoration and protection measures, along with new technologies, are essential;
• Sustainability and competitiveness reinforce one another;
• Public funding must be complemented by substantial private investment;
• Governments should act as enablers of innovation, not barriers;
• A more efficient transition from prototype to large-scale deployment requires better test infrastructure, shorter innovation cycles and strong public-private collaboration.

• EU’s added value in ocean research and innovation
  Europe has a strong foundation in marine science and innovation, but there is room for further strengthening.
• R&I for ocean health
  Improved data and monitoring are needed to effectively address climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. This aligns closely with Blue Cluster’s vision and the Maripark concept.
• Ocean technologies and uptake
  Key priorities include marine exploration, observation, monitoring and surveillance. A lack of test sites and slow innovation cycles remain major bottlenecks.