Bluesprout
Sustainable Practices for Blue Entrepreneurs
Taking advantage of the blue growth opportunities requires an adequately and educated workforce that will have the ability and knowledge to use and apply latest technologies and tools and equipment, filling in a number of gaps. An healthy environment and high-quality services will make coastal areas more appealing for marine and nautical tourism activities, sports, and green tourism. Therefore, specific strategies drawing on innovative and attractive policies and products must be put forward to capture the potential of marine tourists in low season.
In order to reduce this gap, our project aims to train both new and already active professionals in the field towards a more “blue oriented” management system which applicates the best sustainability practices. The Consortium believes that the overall tourism’s sector and the marine one in particular, suffering of skills shortage (which is putting at real risk the employment in the sector) will benefit from new skilled people capable of propose new sustainable tourism packages and services encouraging at the same time a more sustainable tourist behavior. Professionals should necessarily have an innovative approach to take advantage of new opportunities, valorising at the same time the peculiarity resources of a territory to please the new touristic demand, for that reason the project aims to focus its intervention on improving services and developing a touristic product perceived as sustainable and environmental-friendly.
Objectives
The general objective of the proposed project is to boost entrepreneurs’ competences, enhance their services and support their competitiveness in marine sector at EU level. Specific objectives are:
- SO1: Improve the institutional ecosystem identifying best practices and replicable models.
- SO2: Train the trainers in order to support entrepreneurs and want to-be entrepreneurs in adapting their businesses to current market, where a large part of customers are interested in support environmental-sustainable businesses.
- SO3: Encourage the creation of new businesses focused on blue economy (touristic businesses mainly) with a business model which integrate business competitiveness/growth and environmental protection. The project aims at filling the gap of the skills related to the entrepreneurs of the maritime sector.
Target Group
Direct Target: educators, trainers, teachers which support entrepreneurs and business creation, entrepreneurs active in marine tourism, want to-be-entrepreneurs in marine tourism Indirect target: policy makers, public authorities, tourists.
Start date
15-10-2018
End date
14-01-2022
Project 2018-1-MT01-KA202-038500 Bluesprout
Funded by the Maltese National Agency of Erasmus+ Programme
Official website
www.bluesprout.eu
Project Partners
Maltese Italian Chamber of Commerce (Malta) / Lead Partner
The Maltese Italian Chamber of Commerce (MICC) is a non-profit organization whose aim is to develop and increase business opportunities between Maltese and Italian entrepreneurs. Its activities and services includes:
-to provide general information regarding Malta and its territory;
-to provide information regarding the opening of business company in Malta;
-to create lists of companies for new business partnerships for italian enterprises;
-to organize events regarding Italy and Italian products;
-to organize monthly informative events to promote the business activities between Malta and Italy;
In order to pursue its aim the MICC developed a strong knowledge and expertise in the field of communication and marketing, via its website or the Social Media pages.
MICC can enumerate 150 members (many of them in the touristic/hospitality field) and 10000 business contacts.
Varna Economic Development Agency (Bulgaria)
Varna Economic Development Agency (VEDA) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental association, registered to operate in public benefit. It is located on the territory of Varna District in Bulgaria, East Europe.The agency was established in 1997 under the joint program of Varna Municipality and USAID to assist the advancement of regional economic development. Since 1998 VEDA is a member of the network of the Bulgarian Association of Regional Development Agencies and Business Centers (BARDA).
Cooperation Bancaire Pour L’Europe (Belgium)
Coopération Bancaire pour l’Europe (CBE) is a Brussels-based European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG), funded in 1992 by a group of European banks. CBE has 10 members from 3 European Countries, including European banks and chambers of commerce, therefore reaching a large network of banks, SMEs and economic associations from all over Europe. CBE aims to foster economic development in Europe and to contribute to the achievement of the Europe 2020 Strategy targets by providing its members and their clients with information and support to properly understand EU policies and strategies. The final aim of CBE is supporting its members and helping them to get access to EU finance.
Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação (Portugal)
Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação (SPI) is a private consulting company, created in 1997, as an active centre of national and international networks connected to the SME and innovation sectors. Since its inception, SPI has become a leading promoter of linkages between private sector companies, science and technology institutions, and national and international public and private organizations. From its onset, SPI embraced the mission of managing projects that promote regional, national and international development; stimulating entrepreneurship, innovation and knowledge management and creating strategic partnerships and business relationships. SPI has offices in Porto (headquarters), Coimbra, Lisboa, Évora, Azores, China, Spain, USA, and a permanent representation in Brussels, through our partnership with the European BIC Network. With interests worldwide SPI continues to expand its international presence in increasingly diverse locations.
The Hive (Italy)
The Hive (FVB) was born in 2013 in Ancona as “certified business incubator” delegated to promote the birth and development of innovative start-ups (FVB – The Hive is a certified incubator under DL n. 179/2012 converted by Law no. 221/2012). Therefore FVB – The Hive was founded with the aim of providing new business ventures helping them to start and grow, offering administrative, organizational services and assistance in preparing the business plans connecting start-ups with venture capitals.
FVB – The Hive has an integrated set of qualified services shared among settled start-ups, including: an advanced training to develop a new class of entrepreneurs with managerial skills over time; coordinated actions of promotion and marketing, analysis and management of integrated projects; shared databases, agreements with the credit system, opportunities to use research laboratories and technology platforms.
University of Malta (Malta)
The University of Malta traces its origins to the founding of the Collegium Melitense by the Jesuits in 1592. The College was raised to University status by Grand Master Manoel Pinto de Fonseca in 1769. Situated at Msida, it is the highest teaching institution of the State by which it is mainly financed and is open to all those who have the requisite qualifications. Over the past few years, the University has reviewed its structures in order to be in line with the Bologna process. Conscious of its public role, the University strives to create courses which are relevant and timely in response to the national, regional and international needs. The supreme governing bodies of the University are the Council and the Senate.
Latest Project News
Bluesprout project now with website
The website of the Bluesprout project is now live at www.bluesprout.eu. During the project implementation there will be published online map of the best practices related to the blue enterprises as well as online training materials.
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#BlueEconomy #Business #Entrepreneurs #Erasmus+
VEDA