The Sustainable Futures Conference, co-organised by the Horizon Europe-funded projects BlueRev, Engage4Bio, BlueBioClusters, and SKILLBILL, underscored the importance of integrated, cross-sectoral collaboration in driving Europe’s green and just transition. The urgency of reducing dependence on material and energy imports is closely tied to the need to empower regional and local communities. These communities must be equipped to forge their own sustainable pathways towards resilience, climate neutrality, and long-term socio-economic prosperity.

While each project addresses distinct thematic areas, their shared experiences revealed that common challenges—such as resource autonomy, regional sustainability, and citizen engagement—are most effectively addressed through collaborative tools and synergistic approaches.

The conference highlighted that Horizon Europe projects can:

• Act as catalysts for dialogue among diverse stakeholders, including businesses, public authorities, and civil society.

• Emphasise local value creation and promote the co-design of solutions that enhance long-term impact and acceptability.

• Empower marginalised and underrepresented communities by equipping them with the tools to actively shape the green transition, fostering inclusive, bottom-up innovation.

• Increase citizen awareness of their role in influencing future markets, governance, and sustainability trends.

Key Policy Recommendations

Drawing on the outcomes and insights from the participating initiatives, the following policy recommendations are proposed to inform both EU and national policy development and programme design:

1. Promote Synergistic and Multi-Project Approaches
Encourage funding instruments that connect complementary projects across bioeconomy sectors, blue, green, circular, as well as renewable energy. Cross-project collaboration should be supported to enable the reuse of tools and methodologies, improve efficiency, and strengthen coherence across initiatives.

2. Strengthen Stakeholder Engagement for Co-Creation
Create structured platforms and provide incentives for inclusive multi-stakeholder collaboration. Involving SMEs from the early stages is critical for building viable, long-term business models. Likewise, the inclusion of municipalities and regional authorities ensures continuity through integration with local governance structures.

3. Address Skills Gaps through Regional Training Ecosystems
Support the development of tailored training programmes co-designed by companies, universities, and local actors to reflect territorial needs. Investments in Vocational Education and Training (VET) should be aligned with both market demands and regional sustainability goals.
Specialised training for public bodies is also essential to equip decision-makers with the knowledge needed to adopt innovative solutions.

Strengthening academia–industry collaboration is vital. While these sectors differ in focus, they are fundamentally complementary. Industry requires a skilled workforce with both theoretical and practical expertise, while universities gain from opportunities for hands-on training and alternative funding streams. Identifying shared goals can foster impactful partnerships and mutual benefits.

There is also a pressing need to enhance gender inclusion in the renewable energy sector. Conference participants agreed on the need for communication strategies that challenge stereotypes, create welcoming environments, and empower women to thrive and contribute equally in science, technology, and innovation.

4. Ensure Long-Term Sustainability of Project Tools
Horizon Europe projects should be encouraged to integrate sustainable business models for the maintenance and development of digital tools and resources. Identifying potential future tool owners, such as SMEs, NGOs, or public bodies, early in the project lifecycle can ensure continuity and scalability. Where appropriate, tools developed within EU-funded projects should be incorporated into EU-level platforms (e.g., European Commission repositories) to maximise reach and longevity.

5. Harmonise EU-Wide Educational Standards and Procedures
Efforts should be made to streamline the cross-border recognition of academic degrees and training certificates to reduce barriers to mobility and speed up validation processes.
The development of EU-wide frameworks for course structures would also support mutual recognition and improve efficiency.

Digital innovation should be leveraged to widen access to education, particularly for learners in remote areas. This includes:

• Providing subsidies for digital equipment;

• Offering incentives for AI-powered educational content;

• Supporting the design and dissemination of high-quality online courses.

6. Foster the Role of Art and Culture in the Green Transition
Artistic and cultural initiatives should be recognised and supported as powerful drivers of awareness, inclusion, and creativity in the sustainability space. These interventions can help engage broader audiences and inspire innovative thinking.

7. Support Local Governance Capacity-Building
Empowering local and regional authorities with financial and institutional resources is critical to enable the adoption of innovative governance models. Aligning these local efforts with EU-wide strategies, such as the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork, and the Circular Economy Action Plan, will reinforce strategic coherence and strengthen impact. Regional actors should be more closely connected to EU policy dialogues and implementation frameworks.

By implementing these recommendations, policymakers can significantly enhance the transformative potential of local sustainability initiatives. These actions will also help ensure that grassroots innovation aligns with Europe’s overarching ambitions for a greener, more inclusive, and competitive future.