Blue education training for SMEs and Professionals across Italy and Croatia
03/08/2026
Following the success of the initial training session dedicated to SMEs held in Chioggia on 25 June, the BlueDiversity project successfully conducted two additional specialized training days for professionals in Italy and Croatia on 16 and 17 July 2026.
Acquatina Session (Italy) – 16 July 2026
Organised under Work Package 3 (Blue Education, Training and Culture – Activity 3.2: BlueDiversity Training for Professionals), the session on 16 July took place at the Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Centre in Acquatina di Frigole (LE). Delivered in a hybrid format, it allowed participants to join either in person or remotely online.
Those attending in person had the opportunity to take part in a guided visit of the Acquatina site, which serves as Pilot Area No. 1 for the project, providing direct insights into local coastal ecosystems and sustainable resource management.
The Italian module focused on key fundamentals for a sustainable blue economy:
• European union institutions and governance: Structure of the EU and its role in marine and coastal policies;
• scope of the Blue Economy: exploring the broader blue economy beyond traditional maritime transport;
• ecosystem resilience and Biodiversity: how diverse ecosystems build natural strength against environmental pressures;
• invasive alien species: addressing ecological threats such as the spread of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) in the Adriatic Sea;
• ecosystem services: examining the roles and rights of key stakeholders—such as fishermen—as primary users of marine services.
Croatian Pilot Areas Session – 17 July 2026
The project hosted the BlueDiversity Training for Professionals – Croatian pilot areas on 17 July 2026, extending the capacity-building efforts to cross-border stakeholders.
The session covered four comprehensive topic pillars:
• policy context: an overview of European Institutions, EU Commission funding initiatives and objectives, as well as direct and indirect funding mechanisms including the Interreg Italy-Croatia Programme;
• BlueDiversity focus: detailed insights into the BlueDiversity project objectives, biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services, Non-Indigenous Species (NIS), and marine litter management;
• environmental aspects: exploring ecosystem service users, principles of the circular and blue economy, and practical approaches to environmental protection;
• monitoring ecosystems: sustainability practices in the blue economy, identifying threats to the marine environment, and applying Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) in monitoring strategies.
Continuing the Cross-Border Journey
The training sessions held in Chioggia, Acquatina, and the Croatian pilot areas reinforce the BlueDiversity project's commitment to equipping local SMEs, professionals, and sector stakeholders in the Italy-Croatia cross-border region with the essential tools and knowledge to protect and sustainably manage marine biodiversity.
