News

Last January, the Blue4All project team gathered in Tallinn for the Consortium Meeting, marking the project's halfway point. 

The event, hosted by the local partner Keskkonnaamet/Estonian Environmental Board and the University of Tartu, brought together all 22 project partners from across Europe, including MEDSEA, which presented progress on the Living Lab in the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Sardinia (Villasimius). 

Horizon Europe Ocean Mission 

Blue4All aims to enhance marine biodiversity conservation and restoration through the development of effective, efficient, and resilient networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). By adopting a bottom-up approach, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy, the project fosters collaboration among local and regional stakeholders to strengthen the protection and resilience of marine ecosystems. 

Key Moments of the Consortium Meeting 

• The first day focused on the project’s overall progress, the challenges of Living Labs, and stakeholder engagement strategies. 

• On the second day, participants visited Vainameri MPA, one of Estonia’s Living Labs involved in the project. 

Francesca Frau, Blue4All Project Manager for MEDSEA, stated: 
"Blue4All represents an incredible opportunity for growth within an international network. Today, networking for an MPA or a park means sharing experiences, tools, and strategies to tackle the challenges of marine biodiversity conservation and restoration. This requires an approach that involves not only management authorities but also local stakeholders, promoting participatory governance that considers the needs and knowledge of all parties involved." 

• On the third day, MEDSEA presented the progress of the Living Lab at Capo Carbonara. The delegation included Michela Congiu, Junior Research Assistant at MEDSEA, Francesca Frau, and Nicoletta Cadoni, representative of the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area. 

Spotlight on the Capo Carbonara Living Lab 

As one of the key Living Labs in the Mediterranean, Capo Carbonara plays a crucial role in the project. During the presentation, MEDSEA highlighted the progress made in stakeholder engagement, aimed at defining new protected zones and implementing co-creation tools developed within the project. 

Following initial meetings with the Blue4All Stakeholder Engagement Group (SEG)—which gathered opinions and experiences on the needs and opportunities related to the MPA’s environment and conservation measures—further targeted discussions will take place. These will focus on finding effective and shared solutions for the redefinition of protection zones ("Zoning"), one of the key project outputs. 

In the coming months, the project will enter a crucial phase with new activities and initiatives to strengthen governance and management of Capo Carbonara MPA.