On 15th July 2025, the online webinar “Sea Basin Strategies in Action: Innovation and Investment for Ocean Resilience” brought together 58 participants from across Europe to explore how regional strategies - like the Atlantic Strategy and WestMED Initiative - are being implemented through innovation, investment, and stakeholder collaboration to strengthen ocean resilience.
Organised by Forum Oceano and the Portuguese Directorate General for Maritime Policy (DGPM), the event showcased a wide range of initiatives under Pillar IV: Healthy Ocean and Resilient Coasts, with a strong focus on strategic research, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable coastal development.
Key Takeaways
The webinar underscored the importance of:
Coordinated policy and grassroots engagement to address the growing pressures on coastal areas.
Long-term investment in blue innovation, particularly for small-scale, community-driven projects.
Cross-sectoral collaboration to translate policy into practice and scale impactful solutions.
Speakers from projects such as YUM Algae, AQUAPONICS Iberia, Free LitterAT, NetTagplus, and BlueMissionAA shared insights into how local innovation is tackling marine pollution, restoring biodiversity, and enhancing coastal monitoring.
Notable Contributions
Daniela Cedola (PwC Luxembourg) and Matteo Bocci (ECORYS) highlighted the role of BlueInvest in unlocking private capital for sustainable blue economy ventures.
Eduardo Silva (INESC TEC) emphasized the need for integrated governance frameworks responsive to both environmental and socio-economic dynamics.
Pedro Gonçalves (DGPM) concluded with a call for continued collaboration under the Atlantic and WestMED frameworks.
Next Steps
The event concluded with a clear roadmap:
Strengthen regional cooperation and local engagement.
Boost investment in blue innovation.
Scale practical solutions and share knowledge across sea basins.
Opportunities for cross-basin collaboration with the Black Sea and Baltic Sea strategies were also identified, along with potential synergies with EU funding instruments and international networks.
Event Details: