The Atlantic and WestMED sea basin communities came together at Euromaritime 2026 on 5 February to spotlight how cutting‑edge digital products and services are accelerating the sustainable growth of Europe’s blue economy.
The joint workshop, “Products and Services Benefiting the Blue Economy at the National Level and for Cooperation,” brought national actors, SMEs, research bodies, and decision‑makers together to explore innovative tools that are shaping the future of maritime activities.
Hosted onsite at France National Hub (NH) stand and embedded within the broader Euromaritime fair, the event attracted more than 30 participants and facilitated meaningful exchanges with over 10 interested organisations, highlighting growing engagement around maritime digitalisation and cooperation.
High‑level engagement and strategic relevance
The stand received official visits from the Minister of the Sea and Fisheries and the Director General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture, who discussed France’s priorities in the context of the EU’s Ocean Pact (2025) and the ongoing consultations shaping the future Ocean Act.
These exchanges reinforced the role of sea basin strategies in contributing to national and European maritime objectives. The National Hub used the occasion to recall its alignment with France’s National Strategy for the Sea and Coast, endorsed in June 2024.
Showcasing digital capabilities for maritime stakeholders
The workshop focused on the rapidly expanding ecosystem of digital knowledge and production tools supporting France’s and Europe’s blue economy. National and regional actors including SHOM, Mercator Ocean International, Thalos, Syroco, and Pole Mer Bretagne Atlantique presented a range of solutions that demonstrated the maturity of the maritime digital value chain.
Key highlights included:
Advanced ocean data access: SHOM’s data portal and Mercator Ocean’s Copernicus Marine Services, illustrating how high‑resolution, open‑access oceanographic data supports sectors from maritime safety to environmental monitoring. And strong connections with EMODnet and the European Digital Twin Ocean, reinforcing interoperability at EU level.
Industry‑ready digital solutions: innovations from SMEs such as Syroco, offering energy‑efficient ship routing technologies, and Thalos, providing real‑time identification tools for productive fishing areas.These solutions underscored the market readiness of Europe’s maritime tech industry.
National project portfolio: A presentation of projects supported across both sea basins, including SMARTDEC, FISHINN, BLUESHUTTLE (Atlantic), CallMeBlue, Community4Innovation, MedBAN (WestMED). These demonstrated the added value of coordinated expertise from Pôle Mer Méditerranée and Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique within the French national hub.
Strengthening cooperation across sea basins
The event reaffirmed France’s strategy of joint coordination for the Atlantic and WestMED sea basins. Stakeholders emphasised that digital interoperability across platforms, institutions, and countries is becoming a key enabler of cooperation, supporting both national authorities and European priorities.
This shared approach allows France NH to facilitate collaboration, develop robust project pipelines, and attract SMEs and research bodies into EU‑funded initiatives with increasing efficiency.
Next steps: building on strong momentum
Following Euromaritime 2026, several concrete actions will continue to advance cooperation and innovation:
Strengthening dialogue with Copernicus Marine Services on supporting sea basin strategies
Continuing engagement with Syroco on energy‑saving solutions, including links to ship decarbonisation and wind‑assisted propulsion
Following up with newly identified organisations interested in national hub support for project development
A growing demand for digital maritime services
Across the three days of the fair, the workshop and the national hub’s presence demonstrated a clear trend: the blue economy’s digital transition is not only underway but also accelerating. The combination of high‑quality national capabilities, strong European frameworks, and a rapidly expanding market of tech innovators is creating a fertile environment for cooperation and sustainable growth.
With the Ocean Act on the horizon and an increasing demand for operational digital maritime tools, events like Euromaritime continue to play a vital role in connecting actors and showcasing Europe’s leadership in blue economy innovation.
Download the presentation slides - for more information: please contact Frederick Herpers (French National Hub for the Atlantic and the WestMED)
