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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

CAROTS

Commercial Analytical Research Organisations Transnational Strategy
Thanks to a new type of intermediaries between industry and science, the project CAROTS helped enterprises benefit from advanced research and scientific expertise.
Read more about the project

ResQU2

ResQU2
The Interreg platform ResQU2 improved the preparedness of rescue authorities, services, seaports and other authorities for large-scale incidents in the Baltic Sea.
Read more about the project

ReNutriWater

Closing local water circuits by recirculating nutrients and water and using them in nature
The ReNutriWater helps public authorities develop action plans to recover wastewater, and reuse it for cleaning, watering recreational areas and plants as well as domestic purposes.
Read more about the project

TforFLM

Transformers for the future labour market
The employment landscape changes constantly and new occupations or specialties become much desirable whilst other disappear. The ability to anticipate and prepare for future skills requirements, job content and the aggregate effect on employment turns out to be critical for businesses. In order to develop the intellectual and social capital needed for the future, the project focuses on supporting the structure of “transformers”: a new occupation dedicated to helping young people develop necessary skills for the future labour market.
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

Light in the Dark

Light in the Dark – Increasing resilience in rural and coastal tourism in the northern Baltic Sea Region by developing off-season experiences
The project Light in the Dark helps small and medium-sized enterprises in the tourism sector create an off-season nature-based offer to attract tourists to rural and coastal areas of the northern Baltic Sea region all year long.
Read more about the project

3I solutions for PS

Enabling better public services in BSR with immersive, intelligent and innovative solutions
The project 3I solutions for PS helps public authorities make good use of digital technologies, e.g. augmented or extended reality, to deliver public services more efficiently.
Read more about the project

EnTRA

Energy Transition for Climate Neutrality in the BSR
EnTRA builds a resource hub with planning and management tools, training materials, self-audit guides, and a mentoring programme that anchors practical know-how to help public authorities and sectoral agencies scale up the energy transition in the region. EnTRA consolidates outcomes from 18 EU projects.
Read more about the project

MSPDAT

Pathways and Needs Towards a Baltic Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure for Maritime Spatial Planning
Currently, Baltic Sea region countries lack an efficient tool to share information on maritime spatial planning and, in this way, to support each other in the fast and consistent elaboration of maritime spatial plans. The project paves the way for a standardised and commonly accessible spatial data by elaborating on needs and conditions for setting up such a database, and supporting the collection of best available maritime spatial planning data in the Baltic Sea region.
Read more about the project

Energy Circle

Promoting circular approaches for energy independency in business and communities.
The project EnergyCircle helps public authorities and business support organisations develop long-term plans and transition towards circular energy independence, ensuring energy security in the region.
Read more about the project

BREC

Bridging the gap between research and education for the circular bioeconomy
The project BREC connects agricultural schools, authorities and researchers to spread circular agricultural practices among practitioners and test technologies driving circular bioeconomy.
Read more about the project

EmpInno

S3-Empowering for Innovation and Growth in Medium-Sized Cities and Regions
The Interreg project EmpInno helped twelve medium sized regions around the Baltic Sea to improve their regional innovation strategies for smart specialisation (RIS3) by providing strategy owners (e.g. public authorities) and strategy implementers (e.g. science parks, universities, business intermediaries) with peer knowledge and by boosting their cooperation with business.
Read more about the project

GRETA

GRETA
GRETA developed policy tools for sustainable Smart Specialisation innovation strategies in the Baltic Sea region to support the transformation of society and economy in line with the European Green Deal.

Read more about the project

BSR Food Coalition

Baltic Municipality’s Food Coalition
The project BSR Food Coalition connects local farmers and public authorities to ensure regular access to organic food meals at schools, and thus a continuous demand for healthy food supply.
Read more about the project

CASES BSR

Climate Adaptation Support for Enterprises in the Baltic Sea Region
Research show that four out of five small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) fear impact of climate change on their businesses. All regions in Europe are affected by climate change in some sense.

The project CASES BSR addresses the issue on how climate change affects SMEs and the increasing needs to adopt climate adaptation strategies for a long-term sustainability. The project raises the knowledge by research how various types of SMEs handle it today. The result by the research shall map the foremost needs of support among SMEs.

Read more about the project

Change(K)now!

Innovative approaches to behavior change in consumption pattern for fostering reduction of hazardous substance to the Baltic Sea
The aim of Change(K)now! is to build momentum for tackling hazardous substances by understanding and transferring knowledge about what makes plastic marine litter campaigns and communications so successful so as to promote the behavioural changes needed for sustainable lifestyles and a healthy Baltic Sea.
Read more about the project

Baltic LINes

Coherent Linear Infrastructures in Baltic Maritime Spatial Plans
In the Interreg project Baltic LINes, maritime spatial planners in countries around the Baltic Sea found an efficient way to exchange their national plans for developing energy corridors and shipping routes, and in this way to improve the connectivity across the Baltic Sea.
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

ENT-MIND

Entrepreneurial mindset development within youth sector
Promoting an entrepreneurial culture, mindset and attitudes among Europeans is of paramount importance in fostering youth entrepreneurship. ENT-MIND aims at improving the entrepreneurial education of young people by integrating new and innovative education approaches and methodologies into existing education offers.
Read more about the project

Watertour

The integrated tourism offer on inland waterways
The international waterway E70 stretches from Antwerp via Berlin inland waterways node, northern Poland, the Kaliningrad region up to Klaipeda in Lithuania. The project aims to develop a harmonised inland tourism offer along the waterway and to team up business, local authorities, tourism associations and other involved actors to expand and better promote touristic services.
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

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

WaterMan Seed

Climate resilient wastewater and groundwater management by circular approaches that reduce outflows of nutrients and hazardous substances
WaterMan develops and promotes circular approaches to reducing outflows of nutrients and hazardous substances to surface water, groundwater and the Baltic Sea. Its centre of attention is measures and techniques to re-use water from wastewater treatment plants and the retention of water before flowing to the sea. The project focuses on measures at the local level and on areas in the Baltic Sea region, where the water supply may be affected by climate change. It explicitly addresses this by developing circular approaches for municipalities & water companies.
Read more about the project

StratKIT+

Innovative Strategies for Public Catering: the Expansion of the Sustainable Public Meal Toolkit
The project StratKIT+ guides public authorities, catering providers and others on sustainable procurement for schools, daycare, hospitals and other public institutions.
Read more about the project

BSR Access

Access to clean, efficient and multimodal transport corridors in the Baltic Sea Region
The platform BSR Access connected traditional infrastructure nodes and smart transport solutions to further develop the TEN-T Core Network Corridors, and contribute to sustainable growth in the region.
Read more about the project

CCI4Change

Facilitation of citizens energy consumption behavioral change in BS cities and municipalities
In the CCI4Change, public authorities cooperate with entrepreneurs from the culture and creative industry (CCI) to better engage with citizens and encourage them to reduce energy consumption.
Read more about the project

Enercracy

Enercracy - energy plans and communities towards energy democracy for green transition
The project Enercracy equips municipalities with climate and energy plans to support the growth of energy communities and prosumers, while inspiring others to see how active engagement drives the green energy transition
Read more about the project

ALLIANCE+

Baltic Blue Biotechnology Alliance+
The Interreg project ALLIANCE+ scaled up the accelerator and mentoring programme and paved the way for strengthened innovation in biotechnology.
Read more about the project

COMBINE

Strengthening Combined Transport in the Baltic Sea Region
COMBINE contributed to a shift to a more sustainable and efficient combined transport in the Baltic Sea region.
Read more about the project

BSR electric

BSR electric - Fostering e-mobility solutions in urban areas in the Baltic Sea Region
The Interreg project BSR electric fostered and integrated e-mobility solutions such as e-logistics, e-bikes, e-buses, e-scooters, and e-ferries, in urban transport systems in eight countries across the Baltic Sea region.
Read more about the project

EFFECT4buildings

Effective Financing Tools for implementing Energy Efficiency in Buildings
The Interreg project EFFECT4buildings enabled public building managers in eight countries around the Baltic Sea to better plan renovation projects to unlock investments and implement retrofitting, upgrading and deep renovation and, by this, to save energy.
Read more about the project

EmpInno Monitor S3

EmpInno Monitoring Smart Specialisation Strategies
The project EmpInno Monitor S3 equipped public authorities responsible for smart specialisation strategies (RIS3) with improved RIS3 monitoring systems that allow to better assess and design the innovation policy tools.
Read more about the project

DiveSMART-Baltic

Diving with State Maritime Resources in The Baltic
The Interreg project DiveSMART-Baltic mapped competences of divers in nine countries around the Baltic Sea, and equipped rescue centres, rescue services and other involved services with operational procedures that harmonise and accelerate joint search and rescue missions in an underwater environment in order to save more human lives.
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

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