After three years of collaboration, community engagement and cross-border experimentation, the Horizon Europe-funded project BlueRev has officially come to an end. The project concluded its journey with a symbolic and inspiring moment: the Sustainable Futures Conference, co-organised with fellow Horizon Europe initiatives Engage4Bio, BlueBioClusters, and SKILLBILL. 

Held in Brussels in June, the conference brought together 80 stakeholders from across Europe, including researchers, regional and local authorities, small and medium-sized enterprises, NGOs and civil society organisations. The event served as an engaging and dynamic space to reflect not only on the achievements of the participating projects, but on the shared challenges and opportunities they collectively address. 

Throughout the conference, participants explored how Horizon Europe projects, each working in distinct yet complementary areas, can act as powerful enablers of local transformation. Common themes emerged, particularly the importance of resource autonomy, inclusive governance, social innovation and citizen engagement. It became clear that these issues are best tackled through integrated, cross-sectoral collaboration, with projects learning from each other and co-developing tools, methods and policy insights. 

BlueRev’s contributions to the discussion stemmed from its work with three pilot regions, Denmark and Greenland, Estonia and Italy (Sicily), where it supported the creation of blue bioeconomy value chains rooted in local potential. By connecting marine by-products to high-value markets, developing inclusive social innovation and governance models, and delivering targeted training to students and businesses, BlueRev demonstrated how innovation can be both sustainable and community-led. 

At the conference, the project partners shared practical lessons and success stories from the field, emphasising the importance of empowering regional actors, including marginalised communities, to shape their own sustainable pathways.The event provided valuable insights and facilitated exchanges with key stakeholders, which later helped shape a set of joint policy recommendations. These included the need to foster skills development through local training ecosystems, ensure the long-term sustainability of project tools, integrate art and culture into sustainability strategies, and build the institutional capacity of local authorities. 

As the BlueRev project draws to a close, it leaves behind more than a portfolio of deliverables. It leaves a growing network of actors committed to a shared vision: a Europe where sustainable change is driven from the ground up, and where local innovation, supported by European collaboration, plays a central role in the green and just transition. 

About BlueRev 

BlueRev is an initiative funded by the Horizon Europe programme, focused on breathing new life into coastal and regional communities through socially driven innovation and sustainable, bio-based business strategies within the blue economy. Through its pilot activities in Denmark & Greenland, Italy, and Estonia, the project champions the responsible use of aquatic resources, encourages circular economic practices, and strengthens cross-sectoral collaboration. 

All insights and resources developed through the BlueRev project, including innovative business models, governance strategies, examples of social innovation, and communication guidance, are openly accessible to the public via the project website at: https://www.bluerevproject.eu/results/. In addition, stakeholders looking to apply these approaches in their own regions can explore the BlueRev Support Tool at https://support-tool.bluerevproject.eu/, which hosts a variety of webinars, training materials, and on-demand courses designed to support replication and local action. 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101060537. The views expressed in this press release are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission, which is not liable for any use made of the information provided. 

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