Maritime clusters as an innovative enabler for a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Mediterranean
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
The EMFAF supports the EU common fisheries policy (CFP), the EU maritime policy and the EU agenda for international ocean governance. It provides support for developing innovative projects ensuring that aquatic and maritime resources are used sustainably.
The fund helps achieve sustainable fisheries and conserve marine biological resources. This leads to:
- food security through the supply of seafood products
- growth of a sustainable blue economy
- healthy, safe and sustainably managed seas and oceans
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
This topic aims at contributing to the Goal 2 “A smart and resilient blue economy” of the WestMED Initiative[1] (Priority 2.2. “Maritime Clusters Development”), by building up on clusters currently cooperating (e.g. WestMED Clusters Alliance) or similar co-operation agreements and actions in the region developed by EU networks for industrial policy, interregional collaboration and integration of SMEs into EU and global value chains.
It also aims to improve the involvement of maritime clusters in policy-making at the regional/national levels, in particular as regards the definition/upgrade of smart specialisation strategies.
Detailed Call Description
Selected projects should carry out to the maximum extent possible the indicative (not exhaustive) activities listed below:
- Benchmark against best practices and/or use cases to assess maritime clusters’ needs to achieve a critical mass and build sufficient capacity towards internationalisation, and a sustainable blue economy sectoral specialisation and improve cluster management;
- Establish new national maritime cluster organisations across the Mediterranean and enhance cooperation between northern and southern Mediterranean maritime clusters;
- Formulate recommendations to relevant public authorities to harness existing clusters’ practices for the benefit of coastal communities through greater regional cooperation in the Mediterranean;
- Undertake concrete joint activities, e.g. joint investment in research and innovation, developing cluster strategies and practices;
- Strengthen cluster services to business, e.g. promoting start-ups through accelerators and business angel services, developing business services, facilitating access to finance;
- Promote capacity-building and knowledge transfer activities, e.g. exchanging good practices, transferring capacity and enhancing mutual learning;
- Improve the involvement of maritime clusters in the policy-making, including the definition/upgrade of smart specialisation strategies;
- Support policymakers in dealing with cluster policy by creating synergies with the European Cluster Collaboration Platform and the European Network of Maritime Clusters.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
80%
Thematic Categories
- Environment and Climate Change
- Fisheries/ Aquaculture and Maritime Policy
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Educational Institutions
- Financial Institutions
- International Organisations
- Large Enterprises
- Local Authorities
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Semi-governmental organisations
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
- non-EU countries that are part of the sea basin strategies and/or regional cooperation frameworks targeted in this call for proposals:
- Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Turkey, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
This topic focuses on establishing new national maritime clusters and enhancing cooperation between Northern and Southern clusters across the Mediterranean and among clusters, SMEs, academia and research centres, institutional actors and financial institutions.
Promote cooperation between key actors of maritime clusters (business, research, education and training institutes, public authorities), accelerators, incubators and financial intermediaries;
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
For more information, please contact the EU Contact Point.
EU Contact Point
Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
https://ec.europa.eu/oceans-and-fisheries/contact-form_en
European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA)
https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/contact-0_en
CINEA-EMFAF-CALLS@ec.europa.eu
Telephone: +32 (0)2 299 5252
(Publish Date: 13/10/2022-for internal use only)