DBAN project

[ 24.07.2022 ]

Acronym: DBAN project
Project number: 101077599
Project status: in progress
Duration: 24 months
Start Date: 01 Jul 2022
Estimated Project Cost: €517,569.70
Call: EMFAF-2021-PIA-FLAGSHIP

Project annotation: The project idea is designed around the concept of establishing a regional blue economy and innovations acceleration network – based ecosystem which supports existing and emerging businesses and business initiatives in the Blue economy sectors, building upon their potential for innovation, circular and bio-based solutions as well as their capacity to contribute to the local/regional sustainable development performance indicators. The project aims at creation of regional digital Blue Innovation Acceleration Network for the Black Sea region that will be first implemented between the partnering cities of Burgas, Batumi and Odessa. The DBAN is to become an umbrella of actions that will incorporate blue economy activities from partnering countries’ regions focusing and implementing actions to promote and accelerate innovative business ideas for Blue growth and innovations through a combined environmental, social and economic approach. They will encourage the application of innovative business ideas in the field of Blue Economy, accelerate knowledge transfer to companies, promote new productive and technological ideas, strengthen the cooperation between research and education institutes and the local industry, improve the skills and knowledge in Blue Economy, create new sustainable jobs, and enhance the capacity and continuous evolution of the local entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem via the establishment and operation of digital Blue Acceleration Network. Establishing regional Digital Blue Acceleration Networks will promote and foster local and regional competition for smart blue and green infrastructure startup solutions to develop innovative pilots one in each project partner region that will implement sustainable actions or business ideas in blue economy sectors through a range of environmental, ICT, economic and social responsibility initiatives. To achieve that the DBAN will provide two pillars of services, one providing technology transfer and digital data.

Project partners: BURGAS MUNICIPALITY (lead partner), SOUTHEAST DIGITAL INNOVATION HUB (DIGIHUB), INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER (Georgia), ODESA STATE AGRARIAN UNIVERSITY (Ukraine).