Small and medium sized enterprises largely fall behind other players in innovation and investments in research & development (R&D). Thanks to the Interreg project GoSmart BSR, enterprises in seven countries around the Baltic Sea learned how to use smart specialisation to improve competitiveness jointly and gain access to new markets.
In our new playlist on YouTube, we present to you people from the Baltic Sea region who are on a mission. With their work for and in Interreg projects they bring to life the vision of the European Union, because they are creating a culture of cooperation across and beyond borders. Listen to what they have achieved with this EU funding scheme for cooperation. Listen to “Interreg voices”.
With an average of 300 accidents per year, as reported by the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission’s (HELCOM), the Baltic Sea seems to be a challenging area for navigation. The ResQU2 platform has reinforced the preparedness of rescue authorities, services, seaports and other authorities for large-scale incidents in the Baltic Sea.
From toothpaste to toys, hazardous chemicals are everywhere around us. Read about the Interreg project NonHazCity and its #MadeWithInterreg solutions for a greener and healthier life. Together with another project from the North Sea region, Sullied Sediments, they show how dedicated people working across borders are putting the EU Green Deal into practice.
From Adriatic to Baltic Sea: read how to achieve clear waters through cooperation and use #MadeWithInterreg smart ideas to save the seas from pollution.
From a rich marine life to beautiful vacation places, the Baltic Sea offers numerous resources that can be exploited to boost the economic growth of the region without harming its ecosystem. Interreg Baltic Sea Region funded multiple cooperation projects that have contributed to a sustainable and innovative blue economy. Good and successful examples of smart blue initiatives include ALLIANCE, Baltic Blue Growth, Capacity4MSP and Blue Platform.
Active pharmaceutical ingredients are found in our environment at concentrations that pose a risk to wildlife. Pharmaceuticals are used to treat humans and animals, and we cannot stop using them. Instead, the overall consumption of pharmaceuticals tends to increase with an aging population. “We must find applicable solutions to decrease the emissions of pharmaceuticals in the Baltic Sea region, and we need to work together.”, states Noora Perkola, a leading researcher in Finnish Environment Institute and leader of the project “Clear waters from pharmaceuticals” (CWPharma).
At any moment in the Baltic marine area, about 2,000 ships are transporting people, goods, but also stowaways: marine organisms from distant places, like Harris mud crabs, that colonise the Baltic Sea waters. The Interreg project COMPLETE brought together people with smart ideas how to translate the existing regulations into a working system to prevent alien species from invading the Baltic Sea.
A common challenge for the countries in the Baltic Sea region is how to produce green and climate-neutral energy. In fact, as much as 75% of the EU greenhouse gas emissions still come from energy use and production. Cooperation and sharing good practices in Interreg projects, such as LowTEMP, Baltic Integrid and Area 21, can be a game-changer in accelerating the energy transition in the region.
One of our Interreg Baltic Sea Region projects, EcoDesign Circle, reached the finals of the RegioStars Awards last year in the category of circular economy. What did the process look like? What did the project like most? And, most importantly, what was the gain for the project? Read the interview below.
