Blue Economy in Adriatic and Ionian Region
On 10 December 2024, I presented the SKILLS project at “Blue Skills for a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Adriatic and Ionian Region”, held at the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Greece.
The event took place within EUSAIR Pillar 1 — Blue Growth, with support from the European Commission’s DG REGIO and DG MARE. It brought together policymakers, researchers, education providers and maritime-sector representatives to discuss skills development and cooperation across the region.
Representing the University of Montenegro’s Institute of Marine Biology, I delivered the presentation “High Level and Market-respondent Competences for a Blue and Digitalized ‘Smart and Skilled South Adriatic’.”
Presenting the SKILLS approach
My presentation explained how SKILLS seeks to connect education and training with workforce needs in sectors including marine technology, aquaculture, environmental monitoring and blue tourism.
I introduced three complementary elements of the project:
Skills Definition Labs, engaging stakeholders to identify skills gaps and inform education and training priorities.
The Crossborder Permanent Table, providing a framework for cooperation among academia, industry, public institutions and civil society.
Learning modules and practical training, designed to develop technical and digital competences relevant to blue-economy employment.
Together, these elements connect the identification of workforce needs with joint planning and the development of learning opportunities.
Connecting project experience with regional dialogue
My contribution formed part of the Blue Skills and Maritime Professions session, alongside presentations on graduate competences, future maritime professions and experiential learning.
The wider programme examined the Pact for Skills, regional partnerships, EU support for blue careers and the role of maritime clusters. This provided an opportunity to position SKILLS within a broader discussion on how education, industry and public policy can respond to skills shortages.
I also suggested European Maritime Day as a platform for further collaboration, creating opportunities to connect project experience with a wider maritime community.
Informing future skills development
During the event, Mirjana Bartula, SKILLS Project Manager, conducted a workforce survey to gather perspectives on competence needs in the South Adriatic blue economy.
This complemented the presentation’s focus on stakeholder-informed planning. My contribution highlighted the importance of maintaining a clear connection between labour-market evidence, cross-border cooperation and the education and training opportunities developed through
Photo: Presenters at the EUSAIR blue skills event in Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 10 December 2024
