The BLUE DEAL project, together with companies and organisations, has launched 12 challenges aimed at promoting the use of marine renewable energies in the Mediterranean.
The BLUE DEAL project launches an Open Innovation action to promote an efficient match between supply and demand for innovation and knowledge-based services in the Blue Energy sector.
The Blue Deal Open Innovation Challenges offer the opportunity for the most promising companies, start-ups, SMEs or research centres to propose the best products and solutions within the Blue Energy sector.
Challengers will share their concerns and problems and the convened solvers will propose solutions.
Together with 11 companies and entities, the European project has launched 12 challenges through its platform where you can find more detailed information about the challenger presenting the problem, a short video and details about the challenge.
To participate by submitting a solution, simply visit bluedealmed.eu/colab/challenges, select the challenge and complete a short form.
From all the solutions submitted, one winner will be selected for each challenge and will be able to present their solution during the second Business Forum of the project. The Forum will take place in Valencia in February 2022 and an overall winner will be chosen during this event.
Participating in this Open Innovation action will allow start-ups to make concrete advances in technological challenges; experience a structured line of work in Open Innovation with the help of institutional facilitators; be linked to a strategic and pioneering programme; position themselves in the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem; receive visibility and recognition from the media; and, many other advantages coming from national and regional communication.
The 12 are as follows:
Sustainable micro-mobility powered by wave energy (Comune di San Felice Circeo)
The challenge envisages the installation of parking/charging areas near the tourist harbour and the seafront powered by technologies that exploit the marine electric potential, with a particular wave motion. Devices for the production of energy from the sea should preferably be placed next to existing infrastructures.
Integration of marine renewable energy sources in fish feeding platforms (Levantina Fish Ltd.)
Seeking partners to integrate marine renewable energy sources into 2 feeding platforms, which will provide low carbon energy for their daily needs. Any proposed technology must have the least possible impact on the marine environment, due to the proximity to the fish farms, which have premium quality fish of high nutritional value.
Energy autonomy in the port of the city of Samos (Municipality of Eastern Samos)
In the context of the broader goal of energy independence of the island of Samos by 2050, the municipality is looking for original ideas and proposals that are characterised by sustainability, innovation, as well as the prospect of generating new jobs; enabling the achievement of energy autonomy in the port of the city of Samos, using Blue Energy technologies that respect the natural landscape.
Solutions for the landscape integration of Blue Energy devices on Giglio Island (Municipality of Gigllio Island)
The objective is to ensure a limited visual impact of Blue Energy technologies, through their implementation in pre-existing structures or underwater solutions. In this way, it will be possible to reduce the visual impact of the devices and to point out potential attractive and innovative views. Lights, colours and innovative designs could be an enhancement tool for the integration of these technologies.
Adaptation of local governance based on Blue Energy (Andalusian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces – FAMP)
This challenge seeks to obtain the optimal governance model for the use of marine energy in Andalusian coastal municipalities by identifying the typology of actors that should be involved in this modality. It is necessary to identify the interrelationships that should exist between them to ensure that joint efforts encourage the production of marine energy.
Wave energy for a tourist port (Marina di Pescara)
Marina di Pescara wants to test systems for generating electricity from waves and wants to select the best technologies. It is looking for companies and experts able to provide technical solutions, technologies, mechanical components, turbines and generators to convert waves into energy to meet the Marina’s demand. In this way, it will seek to achieve an energy transition to renewables.
Use of seawater heat pump in the main building of Saranda Port (Saranda Port)
The project proposes an installation in the Saranda Port building. Specifically, the installation of a geothermal heat pump with the objective of covering the thermal and cooling needs in the inner pre-heater of the building in the port of Saranda. The proposed heat pump will operate with seawater, not directly from the sea, but through boreholes in the vicinity of the sea.
Challenges in qualification and training of workforce for new jobs in the maritime sector (Split-Dalmatia County)
This challenge aims to establish guidelines to ensure adequate knowledge transfer for the qualification and training of the workforce towards new and innovative technologies and industrial niches.
The intention is to present guidelines or comprehensive reports showing how the transition can be made considering local requirements.
Conversion of washed seaweed into biofuel (Municipality of Larnaca)
Wishing to contribute to the effort to address the climate crisis and promote the use of renewable energy sources, the Municipality of Larnaca is looking for innovative proposals to turn Larnaca’s algae into an opportunity. The aim is the sustainable use of seaweed to bring mutual benefits to citizens and the environment.
Monitoring of underwater activities close to Blue Energy devices (Centre for Saving and Renewable Energy Sources – CRES)
Propose innovative system(s) to enable long-term monitoring of underwater activities near Blue Energy devices. Systems could include optical, acoustic, chemical or physical monitoring devices or any other device. Systems should be compact and easy to transport and deploy on Blue Energy devices, weatherproof and capable of long-term operation in the marine environment.
Integration of renewable energies in the Port of Valencia (TYPSA Group)
The owner of the challenge has been a pioneer in the design of renewable energy plants within ports, and is looking for new technologies to take advantage of the wider and vast renewable resources of the port of Valencia (wave, wind or solar).
How to reduce the marine visual impact caused by wind power generation (Andalusian Association of Renewable Energies-CLANER)
The challenger seeks solutions for the use of turbine points and buoys to delimit the location in such a way as to increase visibility and meet all legislative requirements but with the least visual impact in order to have a better acceptance among the population.
Find more information on the challenges here: https://bluedealmed.eu/colab/challenges
BLUE DEAL is a European project made up of 12 partners from 6 Mediterranean countries and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Instrument for the Pre-accession Assistance Fund, with a budget of 2.8 million euros.
More information:
https://blue-deal.interreg-med.eu/
