On 18-20 October, the BLUE_BOOST project participated in the Rome Maker Faire – the European edition. Maker Faire is the greatest show and tell about invention, creativity and resourcefulness, celebrating more than 220 fairs in 400 countries, reaching over 1.4 million attendees globally.
The European edition of Maker Faire is organised in Rome by InnovaCamera, a Special Agency of the Rome Chamber of Commerce, with the aim to spark a debate on innovation, by spreading digital culture, and developing the individual and collective entrepreneurship. The event combines science, science fiction, technology, entertainment and business in a form of interactive exhibitions, workshops and talks.
During the Faire, BLUE_BOOST presented to the wider audience some of the key project outcomes. To this end, the project partners have prompted the exchange of knowledge and technology between MSMEs/Start-Ups operating in the Blue Economy and new innovation agents such as co-working spaces, fab-labs, makerspaces, innovation hubs, tech-shops, etc. In addition to the organisation of training courses on innovation processes, hackathons, brokerage events and exchange programmes, BLUE_BOOST launched an Innovation Vouchers Transnational Call for a total value of € 350,000 in favour of 35 small-scale innovation projects based on the collaboration between Blue economy companies and innovation actors.
In its capacity of a project partner, the CEI- Executive Secretariat attended the Faire together with the representatives from the University of Trieste, that presented the proposal BOAT2B (Bio-based materials for boatbuilding), funded under a BLUE_BOOST Innovation Voucher. The innovative project proposal will be implemented by the University of Trieste - Department of Engineering and Architecture (Integrated Ship Design LAB) in partnership with Alto Adriatico Custom, a shipyard based in Monfalcone (Italy). It aims at testing bio-based epoxy resins for techniques based on wood, thus introducing eco-friendly materials in the (wood) boatbuilding sector. On the same occasion, the Integrated Ship Design LAB presented the project ZELAG - a prototype zero-emission boat for passenger transport in lagoon and shallow waters, funded by the OP ERDF 2014-2020 in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
More info: lombardo@cei.int
