Project name/ acronym:

BLUECONNECT

Full project title:

 “Strengthening cross-border Blue Growth: fostering innovation and cooperation for competitive entrepreneurship”

Programme: Interreg IPA Croatia- Bosnia and Herzegovina- Montenegro

Priority axis 1: Smart investments in research, innovation and competitive entrepreneurship

Specific objective: 1.1 – Development and strengthening of research and innovation capacities, and adoption of advanced technologies

About the project:

The programme area is facing common challenges in the field of Blue Growth, including limited cross-border cooperation, inadequate knowledge exchange and insufficient adoption of advanced technologies. These challenges hinder the sustainable development and competitiveness of the sector, requiring joint efforts to address them effectively.

By promoting smart investments, BLUECONNECT’s primary goal is to establish a strong and sustainable ecosystem of cross-border cooperation that will serve as a reference point and support the growth and progress of the Blue Growth sector, which is key to sustainable economic development in the target region.

The overall objective of the project is to improve research, innovation and the adoption of new advanced technologies among stakeholders, including companies, universities, research centres and training institutions.

The project will produce several key results to achieve its objectives. This includes establishing regional Blue Growth cooperation and creating a Blue Growth cooperation platform.

Through strategic partnerships and digital tools, the project enables effective cooperation among stakeholders.

The beneficiaries of these results will be companies, universities, research centres and training institutions within the programme area. By encouraging cross-border cooperation and knowledge exchange, the project empowers stakeholders to embrace innovation and adopt advanced technologies, leading to improved productivity and resource efficiency.

Project partners:

• University of Montenegro; Institute of Marine Biology (Montenegro) – lead partner (LP)
• Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (Croatia) – project partner (PP2)
• Montenegro Chamber of Economy (Montenegro) – project partner (PP3)
• Chamber of Economy/Commerce of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – project partner (PP4)

Project duration: 30 months

Project start: 01.08.2024.

Project end: 31.01.2027.

Total project budget: 944,533.80 EUR

EU co-financing amount: 802,853.73 EUR