The project MERCES is focused on the restoration of different degraded marine habitats, with the aim of: 1) assessing the potential of different technologies and approaches; 2) quantifying the returns in terms of ecosystems services and their socio-economic impacts; 3) defining the legal-policy and governance frameworks needed to optimize the effectiveness of the different restoration approaches. Specific aims include: a) improving existing, and developing new, restoration actions of degraded marine habitats; b) increasing the adaptation of EU degraded marine habitats to global change; c) enhancing marine ecosystem resilience and services; d) conducting cost-benefit analyses for marine restoration measures; e) creating new industrial targets and opportunities. To achieve these objectives MERCES created a multi-disciplinary consortium with skills in marine ecology, restoration, law, policy and governance, socio-economics, knowledge transfer, dissemination and communication. MERCES will start from the inventory of EU degraded marine habitats (WP1), conduct pilot restoration experiments (WP2, WP3, WP4), assess the effects of restoration on ecosystem services (WP5). The legal, policy and governance outputs will make effective the potential of marine restoration (WP6) and one dedicated WP will assess the socio-economic returns of marine ecosystems’ restoration (WP7). The transfer of knowledge and the links with the industrial stakeholders will be the focus of WP8. The results of MERCES will be disseminated to the widest audience (WP9). The project will be managed through a dedicated management office (WP10). MERCES will contribute to the Blue Growth by: i) improving the EU scientific knowledge on marine restoration, ii) contributing to EU Marine Directives; iii) implementing the Restoration Agenda, iv) enhancing the industrial capacity in this field, v) increasing the competitiveness of EU in the world market of restoration, and vi) offering new employment opportunities.

The overwhelming scientific evidence provided by the academic corpus indicates that to tackle the origin and negative impacts of nutrient pollution on water, soil and biodiversity, a wide landscape-river-sea system approach needs to be used. This should work on sustainable land management practices (especially, agricultural ones), improved wastewater treatment, and feasible nature restoration strategies. The project SEACURE will aim at demonstrating, scaling up and replicating effective innovations for the systemic prevention and reduction of nutrient pollution in the Mediterranean Sea basin, in line with the innovation ecosystem framework provided by the ongoing Mediterranean Lighthouse projects (as BlueMissionMed) and in close cooperation with related activities implemented by regional soil health living labs in the area. The project is dedicating resources for the regional upscale and replication of successful nutrient management strategies devoted to: i) reduce soil pollution and enhance its restoration; ii) reduce fertilizers use and nutrient losses; and iii) prevent, minimize and remediate nutrients pollution in freshwater and marine ecosystems, in six territorial units (Mar Menor and Central Catalunya in Spain, Po delta and Esino river in Italy, and Axios river delta and Thessaly Plain in Greece). On one hand, the viability and impact will be evaluated. On the other hand, partners will act on innovation levers: policy uptake, societal awareness, capacity building and funding availability. Regional business plans for upscaling the effective strategies in the territorial units will be crafted, taking advantage of the regional mobilisation of innovation ecosystems already carried out during the project. Finally, the replication of knowledge will be encouraged thanks to the technical assistance to Associated Regions through FSTP grants. In summary, the project is embracing the Missions’ impact-driven approach, working with actors to maximise its results’ uptake.

EcoeFISHent demonstrates a replicable systemic and sustainable cluster for territorial deployment of the climate-neutral circular economy by creating six multilevel and synergic circular value chains (CVC) interconnecting blue- and green-economies to reconcile human industrial and economic activities with marine ecosystems and marine protected areas. The EcoeFISHent innovative bio-mass pre-treatment and extraction technologies will enable sustainable and efficient exploitation of fish processing side-streams (FPS) by obtaining bio-actives and galantine for high value-added food supplements and skin care products, biodegradable and compostable barrier layer for food packaging. Other fishing- and fish-industry side-streams (FFS) will undergo the Black Soldier Fly bioconversion to yield innovative soil fertilizer, oil for biodiesel and chitin for cosmetic applications. End of life fishing nets from aquaculture and fisheries will be recycled and converted into automotive polymer-based components and into packaging for cosmetic products. The multilevel interconnected cluster will be managed by a cloud-based platform communicating with physical IoT systems enabling safe and efficient operation of the logistic and transport infrastructure. The cluster busines model and the cluster digital twin will allow simulating critical and optimal scenarios for quantitative analysis of cluster performance measured by dedicated KPIs, also enabling the assessment of the cluster replicability in other geographic areas and fostering investments pipelines. Community and stakeholder?s involvement will be promoted also in the implementation of specific actions for marine ecosystem preservation by modeling, application of better practices and technologies for strongly reducing by-catch and for stopping ghost gears. Social and justice inclusion programs will be implemented by employing disadvantaged individuals, to increase overall cluster employment and to apply distributive justice criteria

PERMAGOV aims to contribute to the realization of the EU Green Deal objectives by improving implementation and performance of EU marine policies. PERMAGOV’s project objectives are: 1) co-developing and applying a Marine Governance Performance Assessment Framework to assess how institutional barriers, formal and informal collaborations and e-governance tools enable and constrain the capability of actors to implement EU marine policies within the areas of Marine Energy, Maritime Transport, Marine Life and Marine Litter; and 2) co-producing Multi-Layered Collaborative Marine e-Governance Strategies which enhance the capability of end-users to contribute to the implementation of EU marine policies related to the four marine issue areas to achieve the EU Green Deal goals. PERMAGOV will contribute to the improved performance of marine polices and a successful implementation of the EU Green Deal objectives, by an assessment of 9 cases (De-carbonizing shipping, Motorways of the Sea (Maritime Shipping), Seabed integrity, Sustainable fisheries in MPAs (Marine Life), Floating Wind, Energy island, Offshore Wind (Marine Energy), Marine litter (Baltic and Mediterranean Seas)(Marine Plastics)), focusing on the enabling and constraining conditions of institutional barriers and the possibilities for multi-layered collaborative and e-governance. Characteristics for PERMAGOV is co-production and co-creation from the start to the end of the project and beyond. Together with end-users and stakeholders from maritime industries, NGOs, researchers and policymakers the Performance Assessment Framework will be developed and applied, in co-production the cases will be assessed, innovative Governance Strategies will be developed and digital tools will be improved in order to overcome the barriers hampering the performance of marine policies and the successful implementation of the objectives of the European Green Deal.

Hamburg (DE), London (UK) and Milan (IT) have decided to create CLEVER Cities. Led by Hamburg, a well-balanced, competent partnership will position the EU as global leader in nature-based solution (NBS) innovation. CLEVER Cities applies a city centric approach, starting by key urban regeneration challenges and employing strong local partner clusters, to foster sustainable and socially inclusive urban regeneration locally, in Europe and globally. We will co-create, - implement, and -manage locally tailored NBS to deliver tangible social, environmental and economic improvements for urban regeneration. We are committed to make the interventions in front-runner cities (FR) cases for successful NBS and prepare robust replication roadmaps in fellow cities (FE), that also have NBS experience and expertise to offer. We will ensure long-term sustainability of actions in FR and FE by initiating urban innovation partnerships that will use SMART city principles to engage residents, establish new governance procedures, generate innovative financing and investment strategies. CLEVER Cities will employ partners’ large global networks to generate rapid and durable uptake of NBS by capacitating businesses and a CLEVER Solutions Basket with innovative technological, business, financing and governance solutions, in Europe and globally. The influential and committed FR will serve as role model for FE and global cities in East Asia and South America. All cities will actively engage in replication, thus, help to meet EU and UN sustainability goals and profile the EU as global leader in green innovation. CLEVER Cities materialises in strong local clusters around FR with partners, which can both support local co-creation as well as transversal activities with specific knowledge and expertise. This makes it a distinct, exciting project that will generate lasting results in cities and deliver a CLEVER Cities package with solutions, guidance and open-sourced data EU NBS reference framework.