The eight Calls for Proposals from the Blue Fund have been published for the hubs to be financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), with a total allocation of €84 million, to be completed by the end of 2025. The beneficiaries will establish innovation and industrialization hubs in Lisbon, Oeiras, Peniche, Aveiro, Porto Matosinhos (I and II), Algarve, and a new concept of Hub Blue School, encompassing educational institutions in mainland Portugal and the islands.
According to the Minister of the Sea, Ricardo Serrão Santos, the goal is to create a network platform to stimulate the blue bioeconomy and other emerging areas of the marine economy, integrating new SMEs, startups, and large companies. The government aims to foster knowledge and technology transfer between companies, academia, municipalities, and other stakeholders, with activities focusing on ocean renewable energy, offshore aquaculture, robotics, submarine cables, and the blue bioeconomy.
The Hub Azul will include infrastructures on land and at sea, with access to marine monitoring equipment and research vessel hours. The strategy was reinforced by Decree-Law No. 123/2021 and Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 182/2021, which expands the Port Tech Clusters Network to include the blue bioeconomy.
News published based on the original news from Portugal.gov.pt: Publicação de Avisos Convite para investimento na economia do Mar no âmbito do PRR – XXII Governo – República Portuguesa (portugal.gov.pt)