This main conclusion was presented at the Interreg Atlantic Area Annual Event 2024, which took place in November, in Bordeaux, by Javier Fernandez and Carmen Hoya, Director and Senior Consultant at Ecorys, responsible for the evaluation process. In this exercise, they identified the creation of 11 new services, 23 new transformative solutions and 100 new methods and tools. The report also describes the execution of 18 pilot actions, the creation of 14 local and/or regional networks, and the support of 9 structures for SMEs.
“Notably, the blue economy has been identified as a key sector across all four priorities”, continues the report, mentioning the main areas identified as primacies: innovation and competitiveness through the development of new technologies and practices; fostering resource efficiency to support sustainable development; enhancing resilience to natural and human-induced risks, and protecting and promoting the natural and cultural heritage of the Atlantic Area. In this scope, the results reflet key sectors like aquaculture, seafood, maritime shipping, marine renewable energy, biodiversity protection, and risk prevention and management. “Moreover, sectors beyond the blue economy, such as sustainable tourism, cultural heritage, and pollution reduction, have also seen advancements due to the Programme’s outcomes”, concludes the report.
Ecorys team shared at the Interreg Atlantic Area Annual Event 2024 a few examples of projects supported to illustrate its main achievements. The AGEO App was designed to monitor geohazards in the Atlantic Area as a part of the Ageoatlantic project and it was presented as a relevant tool to cooperate with the citizens. The SEAFOOD-AGE project was mentioned to exemplify the creation of a new service with the development of the Smart Predictive Label (SPL). It is a system designed to assist retailers and consumers in gathering product information to make better decisions, ensuring the integrity and wholesomeness of Ready-To-Eat products. The PROTOATLANTIC project was featured to highlight the conception of a new method that consisted of a validated and replicable methodology that allowed researchers and start-ups to find funds and expertise to develop ideas. FanBest was also described as evidence of technological enhancement by creating a network of public and private entities focused on fund raising that makes the start and scale-up phase possible.