The Innovative Sustainable Economy (ISE) Mission welcomes 14 thematic projects aimed at catalysing innovation and sustainability efforts across the Mediterranean region. These projects mark a significant step towards fostering a climate-neutral and resilient society within the region. Covering a diverse range of thematic areas, the projects are tailored to address specific challenges and contribute to sustainable development.
Thematic projects are one of the categories of projects that the Interreg Euro-MED Programme supports. They focus on building a smarter and greener Mediterranean – two out of the three main priorities of the programme.
Under the umbrella of the ISE Mission, these projects are strategically designed to tackle pressing issues across various sectors ranging from marine business to digitalisation. Through collaborative efforts and innovative solutions, stakeholders aim to pave the way for a more sustainable future.
Twelve of the new ISE Mission thematic projects are test projects that will experiment with common instruments, policies, strategies and action plans to validate concrete solutions. There is also one transfer project, which will focus on optimising and sharing validated common instruments, policies, strategies and action plans with stakeholders, and one study project that will perform analyses to better address a thematic issue and open the door to the development of new instruments, policies, strategies, and action plans.
Marine thematic projects
The ISE Mission is driving focused projects in the ambits of marine technologies and energy. Projects like SPOWIND aim to support marine energy stakeholders by finding suitable locations and energy transfer solutions. 2B-BLUE focuses on building alliances and refining policies in Blue Biotechnology (BBt). AZA4ICE proposes circular aquaculture spatial planning solutions to be tested in close-to-coast & inland waters. These initiatives highlight the ISE Mission’s commitment to innovation and sustainability.
Inland thematic projects
When it comes to inland thematic specialisations, the ISE Mission focuses on improving food systems, freshwater management, and sustainable practices. Projects like OliveOilMedNet, for example, enhance the olive oil sector with eco-friendly concepts. Clepsydra, on the other hand, develops a smart monitoring system for aquifer behaviour. ProcuraMED and CARBON FARMING MED promote green technology adoption and empower farmers in carbon farming. These efforts demonstrate the ISE Mission’s commitment to sustainable innovation.
Smart specialization projects
Under the S3 thematic specialisation, projects such as REVIVE, GREENSMARTMED and BLUE ECOSYSTEMS aim to spearhead sustainable business development, Research and Innovation strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3) implementation and transformative innovation learning.
Business thematic projects
Projects like VERDEinMED, eWAsTER, CircleMED, and REPper focus on investigating textiles loop implementation, improving e-waste management policies, promoting resource-efficient economies, and supporting SMEs in the repair economy.
How do the ISE Mission and the projects work together?
Through these thematic projects, the ISE Mission seeks to collaborate with stakeholders across the Mediterranean to promote innovation, sustainability and effective governance, ultimately fostering a more resilient and prosperous future for the region.
The ISE Community of Practice (CoP) offers a platform for online and in-person gatherings, stakeholder engagement, cross-fertilisation activities and knowledge sharing among project partners. Additionally, technical capacity building, thematic expertise, stakeholder engagement support and methodological skills are provided to assist project teams in achieving their objectives.
Moreover, the ISE Mission extends its reach through the ISEC Hub, a community platform for Mediterranean stakeholders to connect, learn, share and collaborate on sustainable development initiatives. It offers networking opportunities, capacity strengthening webinars, knowledge sharing sessions and collaborative forums to collectively address territorial challenges.
The ISE Mission is dedicated to promoting innovation, sustainability and effective governance through thematic projects. Collaborating with stakeholders across the Mediterranean, the aim is to create a more resilient and prosperous future for all.
