The Symposium opened with institutional messages from Romanian and Italian representatives. In a video address, Member of the European Parliament Victor Negrescu expressed hope for “strong financial support for the blue economy in the next Horizon programme.” Representing Romania’s National Research Authority, Andrei Alexandru welcomed participants and called for pragmatic, cross-border cooperation. Fabio Fava, Advisor to the Italian Minister of Universities and Research, reiterated the challenge of fragmentation in Europe’s marine and maritime landscape and called for stronger synergies.

The keynote address by Antonio Borriello, from the Joint Research Centre, focused on data for decision‑making in Europe's blue economy. “Every indicator is a story someone chooses to tell,” he said, reminding the audience that data is rarely neutral and often influenced by assumptions and context. Andreea Strachinescu, Head of Unit for Maritime Innovation, Marine Knowledge and Investment at the European Commission’s DG MARE, followed with remarks on Europe’s cross‑basin cooperation agenda and pointed to the role of shared data infrastructures and ocean observation initiatives.

After the opening, Iryna Makarenko (Permanent Secretariat of the Black Sea Commission), Alexandru Buicliu (Romanian Ministry of Economy, Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism), and Mihai Chihaia (European Policy Centre) came together on the first panel discussion, focusing on the Black Sea—a region where geopolitical uncertainty is shaping environmental monitoring, investment decisions, and regional cooperation. 

The second session was a pitch round featuring six project coordinators from the Partnership’s joint calls and its transnational access pilot: DIVE, OCEAN‑H2, MSP4MORE, CliN‑BluFeed, SEAFOODTURE and MARVEL. Together, they offered a snapshot of the Partnership’s scientific and thematic range. Their contributions covered areas as varied as digital ocean technologies, offshore renewable energy, maritime spatial planning, sustainable aquaculture, marine bioacoustics and biodiversity monitoring. 

Industry came to the fore at the third panel, which tackled the persistent difficulty of scaling blue economy start-ups in Europe. Peer Fietzek (Kongsberg Discovery), Christelle Sapata (PwC) and Ingeborg Frøysnes (Innovation Norway) discussed how fragmented markets and limited access to investment still hinder the journey from research to deployment. The panel noted that researchers increasingly benefit from entrepreneurial skills and early contact with commercial partners.

The fourth session shifted the focus from European to local, regional and global perspectives. Oriana Romano outlined the OECD’s case for a place‑based, multi‑level and holistic approach to the blue economy, arguing that local and regional authorities hold critical levers and shoulder a large share of climate‑significant spending and investment. Raffaele Mancini described the UN Ocean Decade’s Collaborative Centre on Sustainable Ocean Economy in Barcelona as a delivery hub for Ocean Decade Actions, organised around knowledge, innovation and multi‑sector partnerships.

Two inspirational talks provided scientific and regional nuance. Bilge Durgut of the Middle East Technical University described environmental DNA as a non-invasive, scalable monitoring tool, particularly relevant for the Black Sea, where the effects of multiple stressors require detailed, timely assessment. Adrian Stănică, Director of GeoEcoMar, presented the Black Sea as both an environmental and cultural crossroads, arguing for river-to-sea approaches to understand its dynamics.

The concluding roundtable tied together many of the day’s messages. Wiebke Pankauke (European Commission), Peter Haugan (Institute of Marine Research of Norway and JPI Oceans) and Viorel Vulturescu (National Authority for Scientific Research of Romania) emphasised that the sustainable blue economy has become a political priority with implications for competitiveness, security, climate adaptation, and societal wellbeing. In their closing remarks, Partnership Chair Eva Falleth and Coordinator Margherita Cappelletto returned to the human element behind these efforts, remarking that “the ripple is us—the people in the room.”

Throughout the day, participants also had the opportunity to explore a poster exhibition showcasing the full breadth of research co-funded through the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership’s calls. The programme also included a short intervention and small exhibition by TIDAL ArtS, which brought an artistic interpretation of marine environments to the venue.
 

Photos 2nd Symposium by JPI Oceans

Beyond the Symposium itself, the surrounding days in Bucharest embodied the Partnership’s integrated approach to cooperation. Coordinators of the 2023 Call projects held their mid‑term review, where they discussed progress and prepared for upcoming phases of their work. Newly funded projects from the 2024 Joint Call met for the first time, outlining their plans and engaging with EMODnet and the UN Ocean Decade. In parallel, the Partnership launched its new Thematic Annual Programming cycle for 2026–2028, bringing together national projects from France, Greece, Italy and Sweden under a shared focus on coastal and marine socio‑ecosystem resilience. Two new Thematic Portfolios on small‑scale fisheries management and marine algae cultivation also convened their first meetings.

Taken together, the week offered a concentrated view of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership’s broad scope of work. As preparations advance for the Partnership’s next cycle and the fourth joint call in September 2026, the discussions in Bucharest helped clarify the questions and developments that will shape its direction in the coming years, particularly at a time when attention to the sea basin scale continues to intensify.
 

If you missed the event or would like to revisit the Symposium programme, including the poster exhibition, you can visit the dedicated event page here.