The blue economy has become a strategic priority for the EU, framed within the European Green Deal and reinforced in the Political Guidelines 2024–2029 presented by European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen. The EU’s current agenda integrates sustainability, green reindustrialisation, and technological sovereignty as central pillars of global competitiveness.
The Commission’s new mandate outlines a Clean Industrial Deal, a European Competitiveness Fund, and strong emphasis on digital transformation, decarbonisation, and technology-driven innovation. Within this framework, a European Ocean Pact is also foreseen to strengthen ocean governance and promote sustainable growth across blue economy sectors.
A significant share of this budget supports the five EU Missions, including the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030, which focuses on ecosystem restoration, pollution reduction, and territorial water governance. This mission complements other flagship initiatives such as the Mission on Climate Adaptation and the Climate-Neutral Cities Mission, with shared objectives in coastal resilience and integrated water management.
To avoid duplication, this chapter does not cover blue economy sector-specific research applications and technological innovations, since these are already described in the respective sectoral chapters. While some overlaps with the information contained in these chapters are inevitable, this chapter does not provide a market valuation of maritime innovations in the EU nor an estimation of the socio-economic performance of research and innovation as a sector. Instead, it outlines some of the main trends, drivers and recent developments in this domain.
The Blue Economy received the highest Horizon 2020 EU funding, with most funds going to Ocean observation, followed by Blue Growth, Blue bio-economy, and biotechnology.
Horizon Europe - Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters
Horizon Europe's total budget for 2024 amounts to EUR 7.3 billion, following an increase of EUR 1.4 billion over the initial budget. Of this total, EUR 648 million are allocated to the five European Missions, including the mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030, a specific axis of action in the marine and aquatic field. The Mission is specifically tailored to support the EU ambitious 2030 goals, which aim to safeguard and revitalise ecosystems and biodiversity, eliminate pollution, and achieve decarbonisation towards climate neutrality, within the EU's oceanic, marine, and freshwater environments, by leveraging digital and societal enablers.
This mission allocates more than EUR 108 million in calls directly oriented towards the blue economy, through projects focused on the restoration of marine ecosystems, ocean digitisation (EU Digital Twin Ocean), modernisation of fishing fleets, citizen science and coastal territorial cooperation.
However, Horizon Europe funding for the blue economy is not limited to this mission. Horizon Europe deploys an interconnected programmatic architecture that articulates blue economy from different thematic clusters and cross-cutting lines, significantly expanding the volume and impact of funding. The blue economy is configured as a research, development and innovation (R&D&I) ecosystem, linked to marine digitalisation, energy transition, blue biotechnology development, ecosystem restoration, and territorial governance objectives. The most relevant instruments include:
- Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment: EUR 77 million in calls directly aligned with the blue economy, including marine biotechnology, ocean governance, ecological restoration and sustainable valorisation of aquatic resources. The European Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership stands out, receiving initial funding of EUR 60 million with a co-financing target of up to EUR 150 million in the medium term.
- Climate, Energy and Mobility: with an investment exceeding EUR 138 million in technologies related to the blue economy, including renewable marine energies (floating wind, tidal, wave), naval electrification, zero-emission maritime transport, and sustainable port infrastructures.
- Research Infrastructures: with an estimated envelope of up to EUR 43.5 million in science and technology platforms for ocean observation, sustainable aquaculture, testing of offshore technologies and the development of the Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO).
- Digital, Industry and Space: with specific calls on marine observation using satellite technology, under the Copernicus programme, and digital ocean technologies (AI, marine sensors, predictive analytics). Although the allocation is smaller (approximately EUR 9 million), its technological impact is fundamental.
In total, the European investment in the blue economy under Horizon Europe 2023–2024 exceeds EUR 325 million, reaffirming its importance as a strategic axis of public funding in science, innovation, and sustainability, in line with the Strategic Plan 2021–2024.
The digitisation of the marine environment, as part of Europe's blue economy, is reshaping the management of ocean resources. However, for these transformations to be effective in the long term, it is essential to address regulatory and technical challenges, as well as to ensure the resilience of key infrastructures.
In the framework of Horizon Europe 2023-2024, digitisation is at the heart of the marine innovation driver. This strategy is articulated through key initiatives such as the EU DTO initiative, which encompasses the core public infrastructure EDITO and many different projects funded through the Mission Ocean and Horizon Europe, to provide advanced tools for sustainable management of these ecosystems. This approach promotes a qualitative leap in the ability to understand and predict changes in the marine environment, laying the groundwork for informed and effective decision-making.
The digitisation of the marine environment, as part of Europe's blue economy, is reshaping how ocean resources are managed. This transformation is driven by initiatives such as the European Digital Twin Ocean (DTO), which integrates projects like EDITO-Infra and EDITO-Model Lab to create advanced digital frameworks for ocean observation and modelling. These efforts are complemented by Blue-Cloud 2026 and AquaINFRA, which connect marine and freshwater data infrastructures to support research and policymaking, respectively. Additionally, projects like DIGI4ECO and DTO-BioFlow focus on ecological monitoring and biodiversity data integration, while IDEATION develops a roadmap for the digitisation of inland waters, ensuring interoperability with the DTO. Other notable initiatives include Iliad, which aims to establish a comprehensive digital twin framework, and SURIMI, SEADOTs, ECOTWIN, and SEADITO, which address socio-ecological components of the DTO. Furthermore, Immerse advances high-resolution ocean modelling (using the NEMO framework) to enhance regional climate change predictions. Together, these initiatives enhance predictive capabilities and foster sustainable management of marine and coastal ecosystems.
Digitisation in the marine domain is not limited to data collection and traditional modelling. It also extends to the application of emerging technologies that transform the way ocean resources are managed. Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a crucial role, optimising ocean monitoring, fisheries management and port logistics. Likewise, the deployment of smart cables and underwater sensors is revolutionising marine data collection, while strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure such as undersea cables. These advances are also driving port efficiency through process automation and the use of autonomous vehicles, contributing to a more robust and efficient onshore maritime infrastructure.
However, the integration of these digital technologies faces significant challenges. The submarine cable network, essential for global connectivity, lacks a coherent regulatory framework and adequate oversight. Although technologies such as Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) are improving monitoring capabilities, knowledge gaps persist, especially in areas such as military infrastructure and spatial redundancy. The protection and monitoring of these infrastructures is a task that requires policy innovation and technological advances to ensure their sustainability.
Another emerging challenge is the implementation of marine carbon dioxide removal methods. These solutions, still in the early stages, face both technical and political barriers. Their large-scale development requires a substantial improvement in ocean monitoring, as well as a deeper understanding of their impact on the marine carbon cycle.
The blue energy transition is a key component of the EU strategy to achieve climate neutrality, with Horizon Europe playing an important role in supporting the development of technologies aimed at decarbonisation and the sustainable use of marine resources. The programme promotes projects focused on renewable ocean energy, including floating offshore wind, tidal and wave energy, and low-emission maritime transport technologies.
Horizon Europe targets research lines that include the development of wind turbines adapted to deep waters, wave energy converters, and sustainable propulsion systems for the maritime sector. It also supports the investigation of technologies for offshore renewable energy production, as well as renewable energy storage and distribution, aiming to integrate intermittent sources such as solar and wind. Additionally, sustainable mobility solutions are being developed in both the maritime and land-based sectors, with an emphasis on clean technologies for vehicle propulsion and new smart mobility solutions. These initiatives focus on decarbonisation, sustainability, and climate change adaptation across the energy and transport sectors.
One of the research projects developed in this context is FLOATFARM, coordinated by EDF R&D in France, with participation from partners in the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and Germany. The project explores the use of algae integrated into offshore floating platforms to produce biofuels and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Research and development in offshore infrastructure also includes specific technological innovations. The HashMop project, led by CEIT, is focused on developing a real-time corrosion monitoring system for multipurpose offshore platforms. This system combines physical, chemical, oceanographic, and meteorological data to evaluate material degradation and assess the performance of new protective coatings.
The AquaWind project conducts a demonstration of a co-located solution integrating a marine renewable energy production prototype with an aquaculture system. The aim is to explore synergies between renewable energy and aquaculture, contributing to emission reduction and supporting innovation. The project also includes a framework for knowledge sharing and licensing of developed technologies.
In addition to supporting renewable energy generation technologies, Horizon Europe also funds research in alternative maritime fuels such as blue hydrogen, advanced marine biofuels, and e-fuels. E-fuels include e-methanol, e-methane, e-diesel, e-ammonia, and e-hydrogen. These fuels are considered among the options for decarbonizing the maritime transport sector. However, according to the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), barriers related to cost, availability, and technology maturity currently limit their broader adoption. Expanding their use requires scaling up renewable energy production and advancing key technologies beyond the demonstration phase.
Other EU funding instruments also contribute to this transition. The Innovation Fund, managed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), supports large-scale low-carbon technology projects. For the 2020–2030 period, the fund has a budget of EUR 4.6 billion, including EUR 200 million allocated specifically to hydrogen-related projects in the maritime sector.
In Spain, the H2 PIONEROS initiative supports green hydrogen projects aimed at energy system electrification and the decarbonisation of transport and industry. The RENMARINAS DEMOS programme, also in Spain, promotes the development and adaptation of testing platforms for marine renewable technologies. It is supported by national and regional public funding exceeding EUR 240 million.
Several of these initiatives are aligned with broader policy objectives supported by Horizon Europe. One of these frameworks is the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, co-funded by Horizon Europe and involving 74 institutions from 30 countries along with the European Commission. The partnership coordinates research and innovation strategies related to sustainable marine development, with a planned investment of EUR 450 million over seven years. It focuses on offshore multi-use infrastructures across different European sea basins, including the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Baltic Sea, North Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Projects such as FAMOS and INSPIRE have been developed under this partnership.
Horizon Europe also supports the Zero Emission Waterborne Transport (ZEWT) initiative, which aims to support the transition toward clean and emission-free maritime transport. ZEWT includes strategic coordination activities across public and private sectors, as well as road-mapping tasks. The ZEWT Roadmapping project, coordinated by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, analyses the European market, identifies technology gaps, and develops a long-term plan for the adoption of clean technologies in the maritime sector.
Blue biotechnology has become one of the most relevant emerging areas in the development of the European blue economy. This field focuses on the application of biological technologies for the sustainable use of marine and aquatic organisms, with applications across diverse sectors such as health, food, biomaterials, cosmetics, and the environment.
Various European programs and instruments have contributed to the development of blue biotechnology, supporting research, innovation, and transnational cooperation projects in the marine field. These include Horizon Europe, through Cluster 6: Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment; BlueBio ERA-NET Cofund; the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF); the current European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF); as well as Interreg territorial cooperation programs. Together, these initiatives have fostered scientific advancement, technology transfer, and the strengthening of marine biotechnology capacities across Europe.
Research in the EU has primarily focussed on two areas: development of sustainable marine farming for biotechnological applications and investigating marine biodiversity in extreme environments, including polar regions and hydrothermal vents, to discover novel enzymes, metabolites, and bioactive compounds that could be utilized in pharmaceutical, food and manufacturing industries. These studies open up new possibilities for the production of natural antibiotics, functional proteins, agricultural bio-stimulants, bioplastics, or innovative cosmetic ingredients, aligning with the principles of sustainability, circular economy, and the reduction of dependence on fossil raw materials.
Several ongoing projects highlight the dynamism of the blue biotechnology sector. MARBLES explores marine microbial diversity as a source of bioactive compounds for sustainable aquaculture and agriculture. Another example is BlueTools, which develops biotechnological tools for identifying and valorising marine bioactive compounds in health, cosmetics, and nutrition, integrating omics technologies and screening platforms. SEA2SEE investigates new sustainable production pathways for marine enzymes and metabolites of industrial interest, focusing on optimized processes with sustainability criteria. These projects, together with BlueBio ERA-NET Cofund, which has funded over thirty transnational initiatives focused on marine species farming, fishery waste valorisation, and the development of functional ingredients and bio-products, form part of a strong European network that drives the blue biotechnology agenda.
Additionally, emerging projects such as AlgaeProBANOS focus on the valorisation of algae farming in the Baltic and North Seas, developing high-value-added products for nutrition, animal health, biodegradable packaging, and cosmetics. Similarly, BIOGEARS is advancing biobased materials for aquaculture, offering biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics in marine structures, while SeaMark promotes the commercial-scale sustainable cultivation of macroalgae for applications in food, agriculture, and innovative materials. These efforts, along with the GENIALG project, a Horizon 2020-funded initiative, have helped develop integrated algae bio-refineries to produce bioplastics, food additives, and other sustainable industrial products.
These projects collectively reflect the transformative potential of blue biotechnology in Europe, paving the way for new sustainable solutions in diverse industries and aligning with broader goals of environmental sustainability and circular economy.
Ecological restoration and marine governance are key components of the EU’s efforts to develop a sustainable and resilient blue economy. Through Horizon Europe, the EU’s main research and innovation programme, Multiple initiatives are being supported to promote ecosystem recovery, climate adaptation and improved management of coastal and marine environments.
A central initiative in this field is the European Partnership for a Climate-Neutral, Sustainable and Productive Blue Economy, which encourages collaboration between public authorities, research institutions and innovation agencies to develop integrated and transferable solutions across Europe. The aim is to support an inclusive blue transition, grounded in science and cooperation.
Within this framework, several projects are working to restore marine ecosystems using nature-based solutions and to strengthen the scientific basis of marine governance. One such project is BlueMissionMed through the implementation of Living Labs in coastal regions, the project promotes practical solutions for marine restoration and fosters collaboration between scientists, local authorities and communities.
Another key initiative is REST-COAST. The project focuses on restoring vulnerable coastlines through hybrid systems that combine natural elements—such as coastal vegetation—with resilient infrastructure.
Also contributing to this effort is OLAMUR, a project coordinated by SINTEF Ocean in Norway. OLAMUR addresses ecosystem restoration in multi-use marine areas, where activities such as aquaculture, fishing and renewable energy coexist. The project emphasises the active participation of local communities in Germany, Sweden and Estonia through demonstration activities and participatory processes. It also involves institutions from Belgium, Lithuania and Latvia, which reflects a strong spirit of international cooperation.
These initiatives are aligned with the European Union’s Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030, which seeks to recover marine and freshwater ecosystems, strengthen climate resilience and promote science-based governance, as illustrated above.
Beyond institutional and scientific projects, there is a growing recognition of the role that citizens, mariners and private sector actors can play in observing and protecting the ocean. The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is actively fostering partnerships to involve non-scientific stakeholders in ocean monitoring efforts. These contributions—ranging from citizen science to commercial data services—are increasingly valuable for improving real-time understanding of marine conditions and supporting conservation initiatives.
At the same time, marine spatial planning (MSP) is being adopted globally as a key tool for the sustainable management of maritime spaces. MSP helps organize different uses of marine areas, balance ecological protection with economic activities, and reduce conflicts between sectors. However, while progress is evident in Europe, the adoption and implementation of marine spatial plans in other regions remain limited, often due to weak legal and institutional frameworks.
According to the State of the Ocean Report by IOC-UNESCO, effective marine spatial planning requires more than plan approval. It involves continuous monitoring and evaluation, including the level of stakeholder engagement, the practicality and content of the plans, how they are implemented, and the results they generate. Strengthening these processes is essential to ensure that spatial planning truly supports sustainable development in marine areas.
Taken together, restoration efforts, community engagement, scientific observation and spatial planning represent interconnected pathways toward a healthier and more sustainable ocean. The evolving governance of Europe’s blue economy shows that combining innovation, science and inclusive approaches can drive lasting positive change in our seas.
A core issue identified is the financing gap for blue economy scale-ups. Many innovative start-ups are reaching the stage where they require significant capital (for demonstrations, manufacturing, fleet deployment, etc.), but access to finance remains a bottleneck, mainly due to an insufficient number of specialised and large scale venture capital firms and structural investment barriers, such as skilled labour shortages.1
The EIB’s Blue Champions survey of leading EU ocean tech companies revealed exceptionally high capital expenditure (CAPEX) needs, particularly in hardware-intensive sectors like renewable energy, shipping, and aquaculture. These firms must invest in infrastructure, vessels, or grid connections that demand large upfront funding, all while navigating unproven markets and environmental uncertainties.
According to the survey, the 34 companies participating in the Blue Champions pilot collectively estimate funding needs of approximately EUR 1.4 billion over the next two years, and close to EUR 4 billion over the next five years—averaging EUR 40 million and EUR 110 million per company, respectively.
These financing needs illustrate a broader challenge: traditional investors often perceive blue ventures as too risky or long-horizon investments, leading to capital scarcity precisely when companies need to scale manufacturing and commercialise innovations.
Beyond Horizon Europe, several other EU programmes finance projects and activities contributing to the sustainability transition of the blue economy, for instance in terms of circularity, carbon-neutrality, decarbonisation multi-use of water, and ecosystem perspectives. While the bulk of funding for these activities comes from Horizon Europe, relevant financing originates from other framework programmes, such as LIFE2027 (Programme for the Environment and Climate Action), Interreg Europe, EMFAF (and its precursor EMFF - European Maritime and Fisheries Fund), CEF (Connecting Europe Facility), among others.
A review conducted by the Commission found 841 ongoing and closed projects of relevance to the EU Mission Restore our Oceans and Water, across the portfolio of 1430 projects funded by sixteen EU funding programmes between 2014 and 2023. In total, these Mission-related projects received an EU financial contribution of approx. EUR 4.05 billion.
Some of the 841 projects were found to contribute to several Mission objectives and enablers (Figure 1). Specifically:
- 151 projects (with a combined EU contribution of EUR 865 million) contributed to protecting and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems;
- 86 projects (EU contribution: EUR 218 million) contributed to protecting and restoring marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity;
- 154 projects (EU contribution: EUR 490 million) aimed to prevent and eliminate pollution - litter and micro-plastics;
- 200 projects (EU contribution: EUR 1.08 billion) aimed to prevent and eliminate pollution – nutrients, chemicals, pesticides;
- 46 projects (EU contribution: EUR 146 million) were designed to support the multi-use of water space in the blue economy;
- 62 projects (EU contribution: EUR 281 million) targeted specifically the development of carbon-neutral and circular fisheries and aquaculture;
- 112 projects (EU contribution: EUR 702 million) focused on the decarbonisation and ecosystem perspectives in maritime industries;
- 187 projects (EU contribution: EUR 1.1 billion) contributed to the development of ocean digital knowledge systems;
- 96 projects (EU contribution: EUR 424 million) focused on public engagement and mobilisation;
- 77 projects (EU contribution: EUR 272.5 million) contributed to raising awareness e.g. on the importance to protect marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, eliminate pollution and foster the green transition).
Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe – account for the largest share of relevant projects funded (approximately 66% of the total) and volume of funding (approximately 85%). Next, is Interreg Europe funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and LIFE2027. The fact that the lion's share of funded projects focussed on research and innovation (R&I), while those dedicated to knowledge transfer, implementation, deployment and commercialisation were limited, revealed an area that deserves further support going forward, corroborating the principles and objectives of the EU valorisation policy.