Workshop on the Regions' support to blue biotechnologies value chains in Europe

Workshop on the Regions' support to blue biotechnologies value chains in Europe is organized in the framework of the EMBRC Research Infrastructure. Research infrastructures such as EMBRC must ensure sustainability in the long run and thus need to strengthen the partnership with regional stakeholders. EMBRC laboratories and services are located in peripheral maritime regions, often far from the major knowledge and decision-making centres. Typically, marine stations are also geographically separated from major concentrations of industry and located in areas with unemployment rates above the European average. In their Smart Specialization Strategies (S3), several maritime regions fully recognize the potential of blue growth and the bioeconomy as a way to mitigate these problems, raise their position in the innovation scale, and attractiveness to human and financial capital. In order to develop their S3s the Regions have access to European structural and social funds. Therefore, partnerships with the regions will contribute to sustainability of EMBRC and to economic growth and employment in the regions.

Agenda:

Welcome coffee

9.30-10.00 Introduction

• Welcome address by the University of Basque Country and the Regional Government
• Presentation of the EMBRC research infrastructure: state of play, prospects for future development and for collaboration with CPMR
• Presentation of the analysis of how bio-resources are covered in smart-specialisation strategies in Europe by the CPMR
• The future of the Ocean Economy, prospects for emerging ocean industries to 2030 by the OECD.

10.00-11.30 Round table: Blue biotechnologies value chains in European regions

This session will focus on concrete case-studies presented by regions explaining how the blue biotechnology economy has been developing on their territory, and through collaborations with other territories in Europe.

Introduction

• EMBRC Member

Presentations:

• EMBRC member
• Directorate General for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs
• Regions presenting case-studies
• Private Sector

Discussion

11.30-12.00 Break

12.00-13.30 Round-table: Support from European regions to blue biotechnologies value chains

This session will focus on how regions are providing effective support to the development of blue biotechnologies through their policies (including through the use of European Strategy and Investment Funds).

Introduction

• EMBRC Member

Presentations:

• Directorate General for Research and Innovation
• Joint Research Centre of the European Commission
• Regions presenting case-studies
• Private sector presenting a case-study based on its experience

Discussion

13.30-15.00 Lunch Break

15.00-16.30 Round table: governance of the EMBRC research infrastructure and future collaboration with CPMR and regions

This session will include a discussion about the Memorandum of Understanding that has been signed between CPMR and EMBRC in order to organise future collaboration.

Presentations:

• EMBRC representative – involvement of regions in the EMBRC governance, and Memorandum

Discussion

16.30-17.00    Conclusions

• EMBRC representative
• CPMR representative

17.00-18.30 Networking cocktail