From May 21–23, Cork hosted this year’s European Maritime Day, where the Atlantic Sea Basin was prominently featured, reinforcing the call for cooperation to unlock innovation across coastal territories. In line with this momentum, the SCALEBLUE-AI proposal—submitted under the 3rd Call of the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme—puts forward a strategic response to the challenges and opportunities faced by small and medium-sized enterprises in the Blue Economy, particularly in rural and peripheral coastal regions.
Anchored in Priority 1: Promote entrepreneurship and innovation, SCALEBLUE-AI aims to strengthen the Atlantic's blue innovation ecosystem by enabling rural and coastal SMEs to integrate digital solutions that are practical, scalable, and aligned with the region’s needs. Rather than focusing solely on advanced technologies, the project champions inclusive innovation, entrepreneurship, and capacity-building.
Through transnational collaboration among eight partners from across the Atlantic Area, the project will deliver:
- A needs assessment of coastal blue SMEs to identify innovation gaps and challenges;
- A cross-border mapping of innovation and digital solution providers, with a special focus on solutions that improve energy efficiency, sustainability, and operational performance;
- Four pilot projects testing tailored solutions in real-life conditions in sectors such as marine tourism, small-scale fisheries, and port logistics;
- Policy recommendations and knowledge-sharing with regional and national administrations in Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and France to support future governance and programming.
By encouraging knowledge transfer, entrepreneurial support, and regional cooperation, the project contributes to several specific objectives of the Atlantic Strategy, including boosting SME resilience, promoting smart specialization, and enhancing skills for maritime industries.
Led by the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and with the participation of Fórum Oceano, IPMA, Direção Regional de Políticas Marítimas dos Açores, Tecnalia France, Atlanpole, Atlantic Technological University, and FS6, SCALEBLUE-AI represents a true quadruple-helix partnership. The consortium is united by a shared vision: to empower Atlantic communities through responsible innovation, contribute to climate neutrality, and ensure that the digital transition in the Blue Economy is fair, inclusive, and anchored in regional strengths.
Ultimately, SCALEBLUE-AI will directly support key EU policy frameworks, including the Atlantic Strategy, AI Act, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, European Digital Strategy, and the European Strategy for Data—contributing towards a smarter, greener, and better-connected Atlantic region.