Read more:

https://bridgeblacksea.org/index.php/young-ambassadors/

                                             Press Release 

New tourism models for the sustainable development of rural & remote areas

EU’s rural remote areas demonstrate a wide range of qualities, while facing unique challenges. A major challenge is the diversification of economic activities beyond the traditional agriculture-farming-forestry sectors, as enablers for stimulating economic growth. Evidently, tourism could become an anchor for the economic development of rural and remote areas. A new just approved EU funded project is going to address these types of challenges in the next 3 years.

Motivated by the above considerations, TOURAL focuses on cultural & creative tourism as drivers for sustainable development, paying at the same time a premium to the EU Tourism Transition Pathway requirements, within the context of smart multi-destination and multi-dimensional tourism offerings empowered by macro-regional tourism cooperation. TOURAL proposes a model to support the touristic development of participating rural regions, balancing the growth of their urban clusters with the untapped growth potential of their remote and rural cells. 

The project’s approach is multi-dimensional in terms of addressing complementary tourism verticals/niche sectors (underwater cultural & nature heritage tourism, cultural & creative tourism, cultural science tourism, silver tourism); participatory in terms of co-designing policy pathways and tourism offerings/services, co-creating business models and tourism products, and co-validating small-scale tourism services implementations; and integrated in terms of joint planning and business development with integrated value-chains, policymaking and cross-border cooperation, at macro-regions level. The scope of foreseen interventions includes 3 regions from the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region (Italy, Croatia, Greece), and 3 regions from the Black Sea Basin (Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine).

TOURAL will develop multidimensional models of tourism verticals driving the sustainable balanced growth among rural & remote grids and urban clusters of rural regions fostering macro-regional cooperation. The project is implemented in the framework of Horizon Europe Programme, while its total budget (funded by the European Union) amounts to 2.999.927€. Its duration is 36 months and consists of 20 partners coming from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Croatia, Albania, France, Türkiye and Ukraine.

We invite you all to follow the Project’s social media accounts in order to be updated on its activities:

*Twitter: www.twitter.com/Touralproject 

* Instagram: www.instagram.com/touralproject/

* Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/101481925

* Facebook: www.facebook.com/touralproject

BSEC PERMIS is looking for individual experts for the implementation of the Black Sea Blue Economy Accelerator (https://bridgeblacksea.org/index.php/black-sea-accelerator) targeting Black Sea business opportunities.

Deadline for application: 5th December 2023 noon time (GMT+3).

We are launching a call for applications that target experts/consultants in the context of the “BRIDGE-BS: Advancing Black Sea Research and Innovation to Co-Develop Blue Growth within Resilient Ecosystems", H2020-funded project.

The call is open for experts with a proven expertise in terms of:

1) Support SMEs and solution providers in assessing and developing business strategies, as well as increasing their ability to successfully pitch towards international impact investors;

2) Understanding of Blue Economy, preferably in the context of the Black Sea and other EU sea basins, across the different sectors and activities covered by the Accelerator.

3) Although a strong international background and worldwide/international expertise is essential, any previous experience in working with blue economy and/or working in the Black Sea region would be welcome.

The contract, which will be in support of the BRIDGE-BS Accelerator team, will be for 6 months, starting from 7th of December 2023 and will allow work from distance (the expert/consultant could be based outside Istanbul). No travels are envisaged.

The tasks will include:

a) Business planning and business modelling

➢ Streamlining of business planning / business models;

➢ Exposure to good practices and concrete examples;

➢ Advanced advice for concrete issues identified.

b) Investment pitching and funding support 

➢ Understanding of investors’ expectations;

➢ Assessment and support of pitching abilities;

➢ Opportunities for concrete pitches and training.

c) Sectoral markets and technological aspects

➢ Further understanding of relevant market/technological aspects;

➢ Exposure to international good practices and concrete advices.

d)  Support a workshop with the BRIDGE partners to gather from them BRIDGE BS exploitable services/results or tools for business upscaling

Interested candidates must send their CVs and a detailed list of references to demonstrate their expertise on the above-mentioned topics to the following email: bsvkc@bsec-organization.org.

The 2024 edition of the European Maritime Day will take place in Svendborg, Denmark, on 30-31 May. Co-organised by the European Commission, the City of Svendborg and the Danish Maritime Authority, this fully-fledged physical event will feature inspiring high-level panels, attractive workshops, innovative pitching sessions, and an exhibition area.

To make the EMD2024 accessible to the widest audience possible, the opening and high-level sessions will be available via streaming to the remote participants.

For the first time, the EMD2024 edition will have on the programme the second annual event of the European Blue Forum, adding even more opportunities to exchange on challenges and opportunities in the EU sustainable blue economy sector.

With hundreds of years of maritime history and with constant involvement in the blue economy, Svendborg will be a great host of the EMD 2024, offering the participants plenty of opportunities to connect with peers, exchange views, showcase achievements and get up to speed with the latest policy developments in the maritime world.

The detailed programme of EMD 2024, the call for workshops, and for exhibitors will be announced closer to the date. Stay tuned!

Follow our news and sign up to the EMD Newsletter!

Just in! Project Awards Registrations are extended until November 6th, 2023! Apply now! 

Extended Application Deadline

We are pleased to announce that we have extended the application deadline to provide you with more time to present your maritime achievements in the Black Sea region. The new deadline for applications is now November 6th, 2023.

This extension offers you the opportunity to make the most of this recognition platform and showcase your contributions to the success of the Black Sea's maritime sector. The application is easy and it will only take you a few minutes.

Eligibility and Evaluation

To participate in the Black Sea Project Awards, your project should meet specific criteria:

• Projects must be implemented within the geographical area covered by the Black Sea Common Maritime Agenda, which includes Bulgaria, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Türkiye, and Ukraine.
• Projects should have been initiated and/or completed within the 36 months leading up to the announcement of the call for applications.
• Applications can be submitted by individuals or organizations that are project leaders or partners within the project consortium. This includes professionals, entrepreneurs, research institutions, maritime clusters, associations, and NGOs located in the Black Sea region.

Your applications will be rigorously evaluated by independent experts from the Black Sea Assistance Mechanism and the European Commission (DG MARE and CINEA). They will consider various factors, including the relevance of your project to the selected award categories, the degree of innovation, and its impact on social, environmental, and economic aspects, as well as transnational elements and potential for replication.

Honoring Excellence

The Black Sea Project Awards aim to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in the maritime community by recognizing three outstanding projects, one from each award category. Winning projects will enjoy enhanced visibility through the CMA's digital platforms, media coverage, and a dedicated CMA Newsletter.

Furthermore, a "winner of winners" will be selected through a dynamic pitching competition at the award ceremony. This provides an additional opportunity for visibility and recognition. The selected projects will receive a special prize and the exclusive Black Sea Project Award Seal to incorporate into their communication and marketing materials.

The maritime community eagerly awaits the announcement of the winners at the Black Sea Project Award ceremony scheduled for November 22-23, 2023, in Bucharest, Romania. This event promises to be an excellent opportunity to showcase innovation, sustainability, and excellence in the Black Sea's sustainable blue economy.

For more information and to submit your application, please visit the following links and join us in celebrating maritime excellence in the Black Sea, and stay tuned for more updates as we continue this remarkable journey!

Date: 22/11/2023 - 23/11/2023

Venue: National Bank of Romania, 8 Doamnei Street, Bucharest 70421 Romania

Organiser: The Black Sea Assistance Mechanism & The Romanian CMA Presidency with the support of the European Commission CINEA/DG MARE

Registration: Apply Here

Discover our 3 tracks to support deep tech projects in every maturity level:

• S3E Start supports research teams and tech transfer offices to bridge the gap from lab to market with a unique and validated Training Program.
• S3E Charge supports start-ups in their growing phase to improve their business model and connect them with funding opportunities with a recognised Mentoring and Networking Program.
• S3E Reverse connects corporate challenges with solutions from scaleups/SMEs with a Brokerage Program based on a successful open innovation methodology.

Read More: https://south3e.eu/apply-now/

Black Sea Common Maritime Agenda Stakeholder Conference 2023 – Joining efforts for a sustainable, modern competitive blue economy in the Black Sea 

The Black Sea Common Maritime Agenda Stakeholder Conference 2023 is set to take place on 22-23 November in Bucharest, under the auspices of the CMA Romanian coordination.

It sets out to be a pivotal event for all stakeholders interested in the region's sustainable blue economy development and competitiveness. The conference aims to bring together voices from various sectors, backgrounds, and experiences to address crucial challenges and opportunities in the Black Sea basin. From the marine environment to investment, entrepreneurship, and skills, join us for 2 days of talks and activities providing a platform for knowledge sharing and collaborative efforts towards unleashing the full potential of the Black Sea sustainable blue economy.  

Registration is Now Open! 

We are thrilled to announce that registrations are officially open for the Black Sea Common Maritime Agenda Stakeholder Conference 2023. However, please note that seats are limited, so we encourage you to register fast to secure your spot. 

Register using this link!  EUSurvey - Survey (europa.eu)

You can also check the draft agenda for the event: Black Sea Stakeholder Conference 2023-Agenda

Mark your calendars and stay tuned for updates! 

Together, we can boost the transformation towards a climate-neutral, sustainable, and competitive Black Sea blue economy.

REST-COAST is glad to extend a warm invitation to all interested parties to join this year’s Annual Meeting of the project. With a dedicated stakeholder forum session, the gathering will take place on 19 September, 2023 in Gdansk, Poland. 

This meeting holds a significant importance to the future development of REST-COAST as we come to discuss the current hands-on restoration actions within our pilot sites. The opinion, insights and expertise of the external stakeholders will be of a great value for shaping the actions ahead, as the project strives to fulfill its mission.

Project background

Rapidly developing and changing, coastal regions are experiencing progressive degradation and escalating risks, further exacerbated by climate change. At the same time, coastal management is often based on single-sided use of resources proven unsustainable in the long term and fails to address issues in the long term.

To address these issues, REST-COAST aims to deliver healthy and climate resilient European coastal regions, achieved through innovative large-scale systemic restoration, which can enhance the delivery of ecosystem services and improve coastal biodiversity status.

Moreover, in order to overcome present hurdles to upscale coastal restoration interventions, the project will utilise new technical, financial, management and transfer tools.

Details

Location: Conference & Exhibition Centre (BHP Hall) 6 Popiełuszki 80-864 Gdańsk, Poland

When: 19 September, 2023

Agenda: Find the meeting agenda here.

Additional notes: Field trip to the Vistula Lagoon will be organised on 18 September, 2023 

Registration deadline: 5 September, 2023

For inquiries about the stakeholder forum, field trip, accommodation and other related topics, please contact: 

Grzegorz Rozynski, REST-COAST partner and host of the event, grzegorzrozynski@ibwpan.gda.pl 

Ivan Caceres, REST-COAST Project Manager, i.caceres@upc.edu 

Registration Form

Dear readers,

The EU Green Deal project “Large scale RESToration of COASTal ecosystems through rivers to sea connectivity - REST COAST” is aiming to demonstrate to what extent upscaled coastal restoration can provide a low-carbon adaptation, reducing risks and providing gains in biodiversity for vulnerable coastal ecosystems, such as wetlands or sea grass beds. There are 9 pilot sites, representative for the main EU marine regional seas and coastal areas: the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The project brings together 38 partners to assess ecosystem services from coastal marshes, seabed meadows and coastal dunes, to reduce erosion and flooding risks, while enhancing biodiversity, food provisioning, water purification and blue carbon. 

Further information concerning the project can be found at: https://rest-coast.eu/, as well as at: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101037097

An initiative for expert assessment of some ecosystem service (ES) delivered by several benthic habitats has emerged within the context of the REST COAST. In order to fulfil this task regarding the Black Sea habitats, it is necessary experts from the Black Sea to evaluate the ES delivered by different coastal benthic habitats.

With this respect, we kindly ask each and every one of you to take part into the process of ES delivery assessment. Please, note that participation by filling in this survey (questionnaire) is entirely voluntary. In order to decrease biases and improve representativeness of the assessment, it is recommendable as many respondents as possible to complete the survey. 

We kindly ask you to complete the survey by September 15th, 2023.

Should you have any questions, please contact Assoc. Prof. Nikolay Valchev, Team leader of Bulgarian participation in REST COAST at: office@io-bas.bg Your contribution will be highly appreciated. 

We would like to thank you in advance for your valuable time and efforts. 

Dear Black Sea stakeholders, 

Please find attached a letter at the signature of Mr. Christos ECONOMOU, Head of Unit of DG MARE Unit A3, on the open Call for expression of interest for new Smart Specialization (S3) partnerships to join the S3 Thematic Platform on Sustainable Blue Economy. 

More information on the call, services and assistance offered to regions and stakeholders under the S3 Community of Practice (CoP) and can be found here.

BSVKC Team 

Learn more:

Attachment 1: Smart Specialization Strategies (S3) – Information to sustainable blue economy stakeholders on the call for S3 partnerships

Attachment 2:  Smart Specialization for Sustainable Blue Economy - Stakeholders’ thematic priorities for S3 partnerships - outcomes of brokerage sessionsthat took place in 2022

Dear Black Sea Stakeholders, 

We are happy to inform you that the first ARSINOE Open Tender for Innovation is now open until 23 July 2023! We seek adaptation solutions to help our regions and communities from Main River (Germany), the Canary Islands (Spain) and Ohrid and Prespa Lakes (Albanian demarcation).

Full details are available here: https://arsinoe-project.eu/open-calls/

A Summer Training on Science Communication for the Black Sea Young Ambassadors took place on 12-13 June 2023 in Istanbul.