Speaker
Description
Despite its potential, the EU blue economy faces challenges related to stakeholder involvement, maturity, and sector gaps. To address these gaps, it is crucial to develop a comprehensive framework that includes social engagement, training activities, and governance strategies supporting a sustainable blue economy. This framework should raise local awareness of the social and economic value of marine resources, promote innovative management of marine value chains, and strengthen stakeholder networks. It should also integrate art and design to enhance communication and engagement through targeted campaigns. This research activity aimed to promote social engagement in the blue economy sector at local level in Western Sicily, focusing on sustainable use of marine resources and the valorization of marine by-products. A Map & Gap analysis, combined with co-creation workshops and B2B meetings, identified local gaps in marine resource management, communication strategies and stakeholders’ engagement. In response, continuous adult training programs, awareness campaigns, and governance guidelines were implemented. New communication campaigns, combining art and scientific research, were developed to engage local communities. These activities, in line with Agenda 2030, aimed at sustainable use of marine resources and by-products applying the “turning waste into profit” approach, contributing to local development and the European Green Deal objectives.
| Presenting author | Eleonora Curcuraci |
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