On 5-7 June 2019, the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry organised and hosted a Brokerage event, a 3rd Cross-Field Visit and the BLUE_BOOST Project Steering Committee meeting respectively in Thessaloniki, Greece. Project partners from 7 ADRION regions, including the Central European Initiative, participated together with their delegations consisting of Blue Micro Small and Medium-sized Enterprises/Start-Ups and Knowledge Providers (skilled enterprises/research, development & innovation organisations/non-institutional New Innovation Agents), creating a favourable ground for knowledge transfer and opportunities for transnational collaboration within project activities.
The Brokerage event was envisioned as a 1-day networking meeting for potential applicants of the BLUE_BOOST Innovation Voucher Call that is offering a total of 350.000 EUR in the form of innovation vouchers to 35 selected Blue MSMEs/Start-Ups for implementing innovation projects by acquiring knowledge and coaching services supplied by Knowledge Providers. More than 40 participants took part in the transnational Brokerage event where ideas and potential cooperation for innovation project proposal within traditional and emerging Blue Growth sectors were further elaborated.
The Cross-Field Visit represented an opportunity for project partners, respective Blue Growth experts and companies to visit local businesses active in the field of aquaculture and fisheries, and to learn more about their practice and related innovation challenges. By visiting the premises of Darmoulis “Frutti di mare” company, CFV participants learned about the current situation of mussels’ cultivation in Central Macedonia, while the production process and development of high-quality nets for fishing and fish farming was presented firsthand by family-run DIOPAS SA company. Furthermore, the knowledge on the business and commercial structure of local/regional fisheries and aquaculture ecosystem was shared during the visit of Thessaloniki Fishing Wharve and Fishing Association “Thermaikos” in Nea Michaniona.
Project partners, including the CEI-Executive Secretariat, discussed the current state of the art of the BLUE_BOOST project, as well as the upcoming project activities. Focus of the SC meeting were the current open Calls for Knowledge Providers and Innovation Voucher, that are enabling a possibility to design and/or create, through small innovation projects, new products, services, processes or business models in Blue Growth sectors.
For more info: lombardo@cei.int
