ENHANCING MEDITERRANEAN BLUE ECONOMY GOVERNANCE THROUGH PUBLIC-PRIVATE COLLABORATION IN BLUE BIOTECHNOLOGIES: INSIGHTS FROM 2B-BLUE AND MED BLUE TECH

Abstract

The transition toward just and sustainable governance models in Mediterranean areas requires effective mechanisms to accelerate research, innovation, and technology transfer in the blue biotechnology and blue economy. However, these processes often remain slow and fragmented. In this context, this article presents an integrated overview of the main findings of the Interreg Euro-MED 2B-BLUE project, with a specific focus on the results of the Transformative Lab implemented during the MED Blue Tech event, held in Alicante on November 26, 2025.

The article addresses two main challenges. First, it showcases real-world cases implemented within the project’s Demonstration Sites. These cases highlight how public-private collaboration, applied experimentation, technology transfer, and governance innovation are taking place across different Mediterranean regions. Second, the paper analyses how this integrated approach can help overcome key barriers affecting blue biotechnologies in the Mediterranean. These barriers include weak public-private collaboration in Research, Development and Innovation (R&D&I), limited innovation-oriented policy frameworks and the lack of targeted communication channels to better connect innovation with society.

Special emphasis is placed on the network of Blue Biotechnology Hubs, the Demonstration Sites, the Transformative Labs and the project’s core operational tools. These also include the MedBBHub digital repository of stakeholders and best practices and the Good Practices Calculator. Together, these instruments strengthen public-private collaboration and promote knowledge transfer in R&D&I. In addition, they support real-scale experimentation and the development of sustainable, market-oriented business models based on marine bioresources.

Finally, the article examines how the coordinated use of these tools fosters closer interaction between science, governance and industry. This convergence could help the blue biotechnology sector address transversal challenges, including biomass productivity, bioprocess efficiency, environmental monitoring, circular economy integration, or performance assessment under diverse operational conditions across the Mediterranean value chains. In this sense, the preliminary findings suggest that the integrated approach promoted by 2B-BLUE could contribute to a more robust, inclusive, and results-driven Mediterranean blue biotechnology community and ecosystem. As a result, this community is better positioned to generate tangible impacts on sustainability, competitiveness and responsible innovation. At the same time, it offers a scalable and transferable model that can be applied globally in other regions, while helping to attract new actors, investments and strategic alliances in blue biotechnology.