Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP)
The vision of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership is to design, steer and support a just and inclusive transition to a regenerative, resilient, and sustainable blue economy.
This EU partnership aims to boost the transformation needed towards a climate-neutral, sustainable, productive, and competitive blue economy by 2030 while creating and supporting the conditions for sustainable oceans and seas for the people by 2050.
The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and Rijkswaterstaat collaborate with Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and The Dutch Research Council (NWO) in this partnership to strengthen the scientific basis and stimulate innovation for government tasks in the area of sustainable use of the sea, taking into account the energy, nature and food transition ambitions (according to the North Sea agreement) and the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).
The partnership enables Rijkswaterstaat to influence Horizon calls for projects that support its tasks and responsibilities.
EU member states join forces
Europe faces an era with multiple crises (e.g. climate change and biodiversity crises, wars) and there is an urgency to stick to the green, digital transformative change of the blue sector and EU interdependence. Therefore, EU member states join forces to stimulate impact-oriented research and innovation under the Horizon Europe programme.
The vision of the partnership is:
- By 2030: boost the transformation towards a climate-neutral, sustainable, productive and competitive blue economy;
- By 2050: create and support the conditions for healthy oceans and seas for the people.
Providing knowledge and activating collaborations
Under the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, six co-funded calls are launched that will fund projects focused on providing knowledge and activating collaborations in the area of the sustainable blue economy. The partnership seeks to engage stakeholders across ocean industry sectors, policy, scientific disciplines, and civil society.
Organisations can engage in the six co-funded calls over the seven-year timeframe 2022-2029. SBEP will further add value with complementary actions and resource mobilisation, including:
- research infrastructures
- thematic programmes
- streamlining other funding sources
Seeking synergy
The partnership engages with initiatives at the level of sea basins, e.g. the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR), and the EU. Globally, it promotes the EU approach to a sustainable blue economy. It seeks synergies with other partnerships and the Mission Restore our Seas and Oceans.
In parallel, it is establishing a community of practice with different stakeholders to co-design activities.
Period
September 2022 – August 2029
Programme:
Horizon Europe
Project website:
Partners:
Link to all partners at the bottom of the page.
