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Innovative societies Water-smart societies Climate-neutral societies 

Interreg makes
a difference!

Explore how people in the Baltic Sea region have been benefitting
from our projects.

#MadeWithInterreg solutions for

Cleaner waters

Cleaner waters thanks to viable monitoring system, new methods for removing micropollutants from wastewater and sharing knowledge

What are we doing?

Coordinated actions are the key to cleaning Baltic Sea waters efficiently. Interreg projects that bring people together across sectors and countries stand behind many of them. Not only do they introduce new systemic methods to clean wastewater, but also ensure the spread of knowledge of those methods in the region. Trust in project recommendations directly translates into new policies and investments. In a long run, cooperation in projects exceeds original partnerships and builds grounds for new initiatives and actions to respond to arising challenges.

Examples of #MadeWithInterreg solutions:
  • a platform collecting best practices in smart water operations
  • a risk assessment system to monitor concentrations of micropollutants
  • novel methods to clean wastewater from micropollutants, e.g. pharmaceuticals
  • new technologies to reduce phosphorus losses
  • enhanced water treatment to improve water quality in lakes

 

What we’ve achieved so far? 

The Baltic Sea is one of the most heavily eutrophicated seas in the world. Interreg projects helped improve wastewater treatment, which is one of the factors influencing eutrophication. At the beginning of the 2000s, more than 20 cities collected best practices in water management and shared them with other city administrations around the Baltic Sea region. In 2009-2013, projects showcased that it was possible to reduce discharges of nutrients from wastewater treatment facilities to the level set in the Baltic Sea Action Plan of HELCOM. The HELCOM Action Plan targets were stricter than the EU requirement.

In 2016-2021, projects in cities and villages focused on improving the treatment of wastewater from residents and industries. Partners in projects tested new technologies that increased nutrient removal and reduced energy consumption in cities such as Daugavpils, Gdańsk, Tartu, Jūrmala, Kaunas, and Grevesmühlen. Rural municipalities benefitted from solutions like septic tanks and soil infiltration in Kolgaküla, Gennarby, Ainaži, and Leitgiriai. In other projects, partners tested the pre-treatment of wastewater at poultry, meat, and dairy factories in Leszno, Doruchów, Põltsamaa, and Jelgava. Following this joint work, the partners synthesised more than a hundred examples of smart water operations. Using this knowledge, they helped develop the new Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy of HELCOM, and revise the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. These two strategic documents help achieve a healthy state of the Baltic Sea.

 

Ongoing projects

The ongoing projects explore new methods to clean wastewater more efficiently and better monitor concentrations of harmful substances and micropollutants in water environments. They address various stages of water management, starting from pollution prevention at its source, extending to robust monitoring and risk assessment practices, and culminating in the adoption of advanced wastewater treatment technologies. The projects aim to influence policy-making processes and implement practical measures for long-term improvements.

 

Supporting the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region 

Our projects play a vital role in achieving the ambitious goals of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) to save the Baltic Sea. In collaboration with the coordinators of the EUSBSR policy areas Nutri, Bioeconomy, Hazards, and Tourism, our projects make water and wastewater management more efficient and less resource-intensive in cities, rural areas, and tourist destinations. Together, our projects and the EUSBSR coordinators drive changes in water-related policies in our region, ensuring that the outcomes of our projects are integrated into legislation and continue to contribute to clearer, cleaner waters in the region.

 

Explore project solutions in more detail:

EMPEREST

Eliminating Micro-Pollutants from Effluents for REuse STrategies
The project EMPEREST tests advanced treatment technology that helps water utilities and companies better remove organic micropollutants such as PFAS or pharmaceuticals from wastewater.
Read more about the project

APRIORA

Improved risk assessment for strategic water management to reduce micro-pollutant emissions in the Baltic Sea Region
In the project APRIORA, environmental protection agencies and wastewater treatment plants get equipped with a GIS-based risk assessment system to monitor and model concentrations of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in order to improve water management and reduce emissions.
Read more about the project

BEACON

Application of biological effects methods in monitoring and assessment of contaminants in the Baltic Sea
In the project BEACON, public authorities and governmental organisations develop harmonised methods to assess contamination in the Baltic Sea waters, sediment and biota.
Read more about the project

AdvIQwater

Improving quality of BSR waters by advanced treatment processes
The project AdvIQwater tests photocatalysis, fungal treatment and biofilms methods to efficiently clean wastewaters from pharmaceuticals.
Read more about the project

NonHazCity 3

Reducing hazardous substances in construction to safeguard the aquatic environment, protect human health and achieve more sustainable buildings
The project NonHazCity 3 helps municipalities, entrepreneurs and individuals construct and renovate buildings with tox-free materials in order to protect health and the environment.
Read more about the project

TRUST ALUM

Building trust in target groups for ALUM treatment - an effective, yet misunderstood method for water quality improvement
The project TRUST ALUM helps public authorities in the Baltic countries make better use of ALUM water treatment and improve water quality in lakes.
Read more about the project

MUNIMAP

Baltic Sea Munitions Remediation Roadmap
The project MUNIMAP develops a legal and administrative framework for public authorities to initiate joint remediation of dumped munitions from the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak, which pose threats to the marine ecosystem and hinder the maritime economy.
Read more about the project

Sense BSR

Enhancing accessibility of public recreational services for the neurodivergent individuals in the Baltic Sea Region
In the project Sense BSR, municipalities, cultural, sports and tourism centres work with neurodiverse communities to redesign public recreational spaces, making them more inclusive, welcoming and better suited to the needs of neurodiverse people.
Read more about the project

BSI_4Women

The Baltic Sea Initiative for the Development of Business Activity of Refugee Women
In the project BSI_4Women, public authorities and business support organisations help women refugees from Ukraine and beyond start their own businesses and become active community members.
Read more about the project

cities.multimodal

Cities.multimodal – urban transport system in transition towards low carbon mobility
The Interreg project cities.multimodal presented environmentally friendly alternatives to driving, enhanced sustainable urban mobility planning for multimodal transport in ten cities and introduced six mobility points and smartphone-based travel planning.
Read more about the project

IWAMA

Interactive WAter MAnagement
The Interreg project IWAMA equipped waste water managers with new audit tools and a durable platform for life-long learning and exchange so that they can better protect our environment, in particular by optimising the energy use and sludge management of waste water treatment plants.
Read more about the project

Capacity4MSP

Strengthening the capacity of MSP stakeholders and decision makers
Knowledge collected by Interreg, Horizon and other EU-funded projects helped maritime spatial planners review the implementation of national maritime spatial plans and set baselines for a coherent MSP across the Baltic Sea.
Read more about the project

RDI2CluB

Rural RDI milieus in transition towards smart Bioeconomy Clusters and Innovation Ecosystems
RDI2Club facilitated business development in rural areas and boosted bioeconomy growth in five countries across the Baltic Sea region.
Read more about the project

BaltSe@nioR 2.0

Innovative solutions to support BSR in providing more senior - friendly public spaces due to increased capacity of BSR companies and public institutions
Manufacturers, public institutions and experts jointly developed solutions for smart senior-friendly furniture in public spaces, while advancing innovative and social business development.
Read more about the project

DIVERSE_GENE_WATCH

Early Forecasting and Monitoring System for Genetic Biodiversity Loss in Keystone Forest Tree Species
The project DIVERSE_GENE_WATCH teams up scientists, sectoral agencies, forest owners, and NGOs to establish a transnational genetic diversity monitoring system that enhances ecosystem resilience and supports the forest economy.
Read more about the project

REVITALISE HERITAGE

Architectural & Landscape Heritage as a Driver for Economic, Cultural and Community Development in Peripheral Regions
Architectural and landscape heritage is an expression of history, and it helps us to understand the relevance of the past to contemporary life and cultural identities. Despite their potential, many heritage places remain underused – in particular in peripheral regions. REVITALISE HERITAGE aims at empowering peripheral communities across the Baltic Sea region to transform underused heritage sites into interventions for economic, cultural and community development – and promote these approaches to potential adopters and decision-makers through media, film and gaming.
Read more about the project

CITYAM

CITYAM - Preparing cities for sustainable Urban Air Mobility
The project CITYAM equips cities with tools to improve airspace management in dealing with emerging urban air mobility and scaling drone operations.
Read more about the project

BFCC

Baltic Fracture Competence Centre
The project BFCC engaged four hospitals supported by business development organisations and universities in creating a joint registry to store and process data about bone fractures in four countries. Medical companies used this data for improving their products to offer better treatment possibilities for patients, thus preparing our ageing society for the numbers of bone fractures and linked health disorders to increase.
Read more about the project

BSR Go-abroad

BSR Go-abroad - building market and supply chain opportunities for micro SMEs within the Baltic Sea Region
The project BSR Go-abroad develops a blueprint for micro SMEs to help them expand business offers and enter new markets across the Baltic Sea region in order to keep their businesses thriving regardless of any disruptions to come.
Read more about the project

MedRoPlan

Wood Biomass Production in Medium Rotation Plantations with Hybrid Aspen and Poplars
There is a growing interest in fast-growing tree species, such as hybrid aspens and poplars, especially in the context of bioeconomy approach becoming more popular. These trees have a great potential to constitute a significant share in the wood-based biomass in the near future. MedRoPlan aims to elaborate on developing and improving the production methods of the wood biomass with the use of hybrid aspens and poplars.
Read more about the project

SIS2MO

Social innovations as a catalyst for sustainable and smart mobility services in remote regions
SIS2MO brings together municipalities, social initiatives, mobility experts and local residents across the Baltic Sea Region to co-create smarter and more sustainable rural transport solutions that better respond to the daily needs of vulnerable groups and improve access, inclusion and quality of life in rural communities.
Read more about the project

Living Coast

Living Coastal Communities
The project Living Coast brings together municipalities, NGOs, schools and small businesses in Estonia, Denmark and Sweden to transform underused harbour spaces into community-led Coastal Living Labs where seaweed cultivation, education and local innovation create new economic opportunities and stronger, more resilient coastal communities.
Read more about the project

BALTIC UKH

Urban Knowledge Hubs - Transformative Societal Spaces for Hybrid Libraries in the Baltic Sea Region
The project BALTIC UKH helps authorities and education institutions increase digital literacy by designing attractive hybrid spaces for people to learn, interact and exchange reliable information.
Read more about the project

BSG-Go

BSG-Go! Scaling-up Baltic Sea Game support for a resilient game industry
The project BSG-Go creates a community for young game developers and entrepreneurs to build on communication competences and ensure stable game industry growth.
Read more about the project

Restart BSR

Restart SMEs in the Baltic Sea Region
Restart BSR helped to build the institutional potential to support companies in a difficult financial situation, as well as owners of formerly closed companies, willing to start new businesses.
Read more about the project

ProVaHealth

Product Validation in Health
The Interreg project ProVaHealth engaged 14 health laboratories, improved their access to start-ups as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, and scaled up the challenging health innovation in the Baltic Sea region.
Read more about the project

BalticBlueMarinas

Remote Baltic Marinas as Drivers for Sustainable Coastal and Maritime Tourism Development
BalticBlueMarinas aims to capitalise the sustainable use of marinas as key actors of tourism destinations in the Baltic Sea region. Marinas are seen as separate entities in relation to other actors of the tourism sector, even if they are an essential part of the overall tourism package. The goal is to strengthen the cooperation between actors to foster growth, by integrating marinas into the regional tourism development and recreational boating with other tourism sectors.
Read more about the project

ENGAGE Islands

Enabling Green Action and Growth for Everyone
The project ENGAGE Islands helps public authorities, educational institutions and business support organisations in peripheral and island regions better engage local communities, making the benefits of green investments more visible through stronger local economies, new opportunities for youth and more inclusive communities.
Read more about the project

ReNew Common Heating

Renewable Energies and Common Heating
The project ReNew Common Heating helps smaller municipalities develop affordable, decentralised heating networks for residential and semi-detached neighbourhoods powered by renewable energy to reduce emissions.
Read more about the project

BSR Urban Mobility

Enhancing active and efficient urban mobility in the Baltic Sea region
The BSR Urban Mobility project platform connects cities, regional authorities, and policymakers in a peer learning network to support the implementation of sustainable urban mobility plans and deliver on EU goals for multimodal, zero-emission transport. BSR Urban Mobility consolidates outcomes from 17 EU projects.
Read more about the project

BalticLSC

Baltic Large Scale Computing
BalticLSC helped smaller innovative businesses, startups, research centers and independent innovators take advantage of complex data thanks to the improved access to large-scale computing.
Read more about the project

BSR Mental Health

Baltic Sea Mental Health Platform
The BSR Mental Health project platform outlines a modern healthcare system for the region, helping public authorities integrate non-clinical cultural, artistic, and physical activities to enhance mental and social well-being for people of all ages. BSR Mental Health consolidates outcomes from 13 EU projects.
Read more about the project

Dune3

Collaborative planning and pilot actions for Grey dunes restoration in the South-East Baltic
The project Dune3 brings together municipalities, NGOs, protected area managers and local communities in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland to protect and restore vulnerable grey dune ecosystems through shared restoration plans, responsible tourism and citizen engagement, strengthening biodiversity and coastal resilience.
Read more about the project

SEAMEASURES

SEAMEASURES
There are two interlinked developments that accelerate the transition to clean shipping in Northern Europe: the environmental and the economic development. The aim of this project is to contribute to thriving and sustainable shipping through the analysis of different options for decarbonisation and minimizing the harmful impacts to air quality and the marine environment. We will target all aspects of decarbonisation of the maritime cluster, especially the short sea shipping, including a roadmap for emerging technologies.
Read more about the project

GRASS

Growing Algae Sustainably in the Baltic Sea
GRASS helped ministries, regional administrations and municipalities as well as businesses understand benefits of macroalgae cultivation as a new blue economy opportunity for the region.
Read more about the project

TRAC 4 SERIAL

TRAnsnational Cooperation for Serial Energy Refurbishment in BSR
The current pace of refurbishment of buildings is not enough to reach the EU goals of a climate neutral building stock by 2050. TRAC4SERIAL initiates the energy efficient refurbishment of multi-family residential buildings using prefabricated retrofits. This is not only more energy efficient but can also save time and costs. Costs can be reduced only by applying large quantities. Therefore, the TRAC4SERIAL aims to involve the necessary stakeholders to accelerate the process of serial refurbishment.
Read more about the project

Sohjoa Last Mile

Sohjoa Last Mile - Baltic Sea Region transitioning into eco-friendly autonomous last mile public transportation
Sohjoa Last Mile helped cities in the Baltic Sea region introduce automated public transportation vehicles.
Read more about the project

YAMP

Young Market Places: Rejuvenation of local markets for rural vitality and resilience
In the project YAMP, public authorities, NGOs and business support organisations engage young people in reinventing local marketplaces into community-driven and resilient spaces, which strengthen local economies.
Read more about the project

Baltic DigiTour

Baltic DigiTour
For the dynamic knowledge area of digitalization in touristic attractions, the project is directed to setting up a new way of continuous online learning based on connectivist massive open online courses. Focusing the collaboration of learners, such connectivist massive open online courses potentially allow to tackle the fast changing learning content in a knowledge community. Towards a main project we now analyze existing connectivist massive open online course models, IT platforms as well as needs of content matter experts and potential participants.
Read more about the project

ChemClimCircle

Integrating criteria for chemicals, climate and circularity in procurement processes
The project ChemClimCircle equips municipalities with training modules to apply circular procurement and, by this, to use non-toxic and climate-neutral products.
Read more about the project

Solutions stay with the people: listen to our #InterregVoices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© UBC SCC/Mariia Andreeva

Thanks to Interreg (...), we created momentum for essential aspects of sustainable water management connected to climate change, for example improving the wastewater and storm water management, reducing water pollution, and increasing the application of circular economy principles. [IWAMA; BSR Water]

 

 

 

Agnieszka Ilola 

Head of Secretariat, Union of the Baltic Cities, Sustainable Cities Commission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Dmitry Frank-Kamenetsky

I can name a large number of examples of project outputs directly integrated into the regional policy framework. The first one is the recommendation on sludge handling. It was largely based on the PURE project. What’s more, the technologies tested in the project PURE to treat wastewater are in regular use now.

 

 

 

Dmitry Frank-Kamenetsky

 Special Advisor to HELCOM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© City of Turku

Thanks to Interreg projects, we have improved our public services for our citizens. Our water treatment facility has been involved in benchmarking water management processes and our water management processes have continuously been improving. Now, we have even better water quality and managed to keep the price of our water services at a moderate level.

Minna Arve

Mayor of Turku, Finland

#MadeWithInterreg solutions by topic

Agriculture

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Fewer hazards

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Health &
well-being

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Healthy & sustainable
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