MED-Hubs is embarking on a 2-year journey to accelerate sustainable blue growth in the Western Mediterranean. Co-funded under EMFAF-2025-PIA-FLAGSHIP (Topic I3), the consortium will operate two interregional innovation hubs: one in Spain focused on marine renewable energy, and one in Italy focused on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
The initiative is coordinated by Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT) with a core partnership of DEEP Ecosystems, Region de Murcia, Federación de Municipios de la Región de Murcia, ALDA – European Association for Local Democracy, Justonearth, Maltaccelerate, Venice Lagoon Plastic Free, Changemakers Agency, Asociación Centro Tecnológico Naval y del Mar (CTN), and Fabbrica Italiana dell’Innovazione.
The overall objective is to close the research-to-market gap by validating and scaling blue-economy solutions through S3-aligned testbeds, real-sea pilots, and demand activation with ports and public buyers. A “Trusted Pilots” approach will rigorously validate solutions in operating conditions to build buyer and investor confidence, while an Expansion Programme will support replication in additional regions.
The project will support the following activities:
- Open calls to source high-potential solutions from SMEs and startups; tailored upscaling via a “From Idea to Market” pathway.
- Access to laboratories and real-sea testbeds in Spain and Italy to validate prototypes and run pilot projects.
- Regulatory navigation, procurement pathways with public buyers, and investor readiness and matchmaking.
- Knowledge sharing and replication through an Observatory Panel and an Expansion Programme for other regions.
Pilots & Thematic Focus
During the project lifetime, MED-Hubs will concentrate on:
- Marine Renewable Energy for small vessels, harbours, and coastal applications, including digitalization (Spanish hub.
- Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture with AI-assisted species recognition, digital logbooks, environmental data capture, and traceability (Italian hub).
Events Timeline
A launch phase will be followed by stakeholder hacks in each regions, Blue Economy conferences, investor and procurer matchmaking, field pilots in both hubs, and a final replication program. Dates and venues will be announced via the project channels.
MED-Hubs is a manifestation of our commitment to strengthen interregional cooperation, create quality jobs, and improve the competitiveness of the Western Mediterranean blue economy while protecting marine ecosystems and empowering coastal communities.
We invite innovators, ports, fisheries, investors, and policymakers to join the hubs, co-design pilots, and take part in the Expansion Programme.
The MED-Hubs activities are funded under the project Mediterranean Blue Economy Hubs: Maritime Innovation for Smart Specialisation supported by the European Union’s European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) under grant agreement No 101241440. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.