17–18 June 2025 | Arendal, Norway
Setting the Scene: Online Foundations and Face-to-Face Synergy
The in-person General Assembly was preceded by two half-days of virtual presentations (12–13 June) to share updates from all demonstration sites and work packages with participants. This provided a strong foundation for the in-person event, where the focus shifted to deeper engagement: in-detail exchange between WPs and DSs, collaboratively and clearly defining next steps for implementation and the first external input from the External Advisory Board (EAB) established in the BLUE CONNECT project.
Connecting the Dots: Interactive Sessions and A Shared Vision
The GA kicked off with a series of interactive sessions designed to spark conversation across work packages and demonstration sites as well as explore synergies with similar projects across Europe. Participants were able to get key insights from several projects presented at the GA including
- MSP4BIO, presented by Margarita Stancheva (CCMS) and Mauro Randone (WWF Med, with BLUE CONNECT taking up the Think Tank model used in MSP4BIO.
- The MPA Community Network, presented by Mariana Mata Lara (SUBMARINER Network for Blue Growth EEIG), introducing this growing collaborative network for Marine Protected Area (MPA) planners, of which BLUE CONNECT is a founding member.
- BioAgora, presented by Ute Jacob (HIFMB), a EU cluster initiative with great potential for collaboration with BC and policy integration of outcomes.
- Blue4all, presented by Sergio Scanu (CMCC),a close partner in shaping the BLUE CONNECT Blueprint — one of the major outputs of the project.
These exchanges highlighted how BLUE CONNECT aligns with and contributes to broader European initiatives, with a focus on complementarity building upon other project’s efforts.
A Boat Tour with Purpose
The first day concluded with a boat tour through Raet National Park, offering participants and local stakeholders a unique opportunity to connect over the natural beauty of the area. Along the way, Joan Fabres (SALT) shared the goals and vision of BLUE CONNECT in local language with the community — an inspiring reminder of the local relevance of the work being done.
Stakeholders, Solutions, and Strategy
The General Assembly gave further an opportunity to dive into the intricacies of stakeholder engagement — a cornerstone of BLUE CONNECT’s methodology. Demonstration site leads exchanged experiences on improving engagement strategies, overcoming challenges, and fostering inclusive solutions.
The Second General Assembly wrapped up with the first official meeting of the External Advisory Board, chaired by Iryna Makarenko and Tamar Guy-Haim, who offered constructive feedback and strategic insights for the project’s next phase, complemented by input on challenges, opportunities and recommendations from Laura Darby.
Looking Ahead
We are five years away from 2030 biodiversity protection targets (30by30), with only 12,3% of MPAs coverage around Europe (EEA, 2024), 0,2% of MPAs fully or strictly protected and 86% of MPAs that show low protection levels or incompatibility with conservation (Aminian-Biquet et al., 2024). With this important momentum, a newly defined consensus on next steps and a growing ecosystem of sister projects positions BLUE CONNECT to drive meaningful change in marine protection across Europe. That involves the important upcoming phase of development of draft Blueprint for marine conservation planning and management which will be discussed with Demo sites stakeholders and adapted to their feedback.
Stay tuned as the project continues to connect people, places, and knowledge for a more sustainable blue future.
