INNOVABLUE

Innovation network for development of solutions and technologies for sustainable blue economy in the Adrion region

INNOVABLUE aims to strengthen the sustainable blue economy in the Adriatic-Ionian region by fostering innovation, sustainability, and transnational collaboration. The project brings together two strategic innovation communities — BlueAIR and the cross-border Digital Innovation Hub Innovamare — into a single integrated ecosystem that will drive marine technologies and accelerate the region’s transition toward a greener and more resilient future.

Through this integration, INNOVABLUE will enhance cooperation among research institutions, businesses, public authorities, and civil society, enabling a stronger quadruple-helix innovation network. It will address regulatory barriers that slow down the adoption of new marine technologies, propose improvements to facilitate testing and piloting in real environments, and promote funding mechanisms for innovative blue projects. The project will also establish the groundwork for an Adrion Blue Fund to channel investment toward sustainable and digital marine innovations.

By connecting existing communities, improving regulatory frameworks, boosting financial support, and enabling technology transfer, INNOVABLUE will strengthen competitiveness and sustainability in the blue economy. The project embodies collaboration and continuity between two major EU programmes — ADRION and Interreg Italy-Croatia — ensuring long-lasting impact, wider adoption of results, and a model for effective cooperation in the Adriatic-Ionian region.