Restoring and maintaining the resilience of the Black Sea ecosystem, while enabling a sustainable exploitation of its natural resources is vital. A better coordination and alignment of research and innovation efforts alongside developing improved knowledge base and joint infrastructures could substantially support this timely challenge. Towards this end the Burgas Vision Paper was produced, by an initiative supported by EC, as the key framework document for a shared vision for a productive, healthy, resilient, sustainable and better-valued Black Sea by 2030. It addresses the four key pillars on which a new Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) and its Implementation Plan can be built on: (1) Addressing fundamental Black Sea research challenges, (2) Developing products, solutions and clusters underpinning Black Sea Blue Growth, (3) Building of critical support systems and innovative Infrastructures, (4) Education and capacity building. Building on this recently emerging policy framework, the core contribution of the Black Sea CONNECT CSA will be to scientifically, technically and logistically support the Black Sea Blue Growth Initiative towards the implementation of the Burgas Vision Paper, with a view on boosting the blue economy in the region. The overall objective is to coordinate the development of the SRIA and its implementation plan both at national and regional level. The SRIA and its implementation plan will guide stakeholders from academia, funding agencies, industry, policy and society to address together the fundamental Black Sea challenges, to promote blue growth and economic prosperity of the Black Sea region, to build critical support systems and innovative research infrastructure and to improve education and capacity building. The project will support the design of synergistic activities such as developing an operational network of funders, new transnational joint activities and achieving the knowledge transfer.

FRESH (Find Research Everywhere and SHare) is led by the Center for Research and Analysis with 13 partners and 5 associated partners. The Consortium includes Bulgaria’s first technological park, a chamber of industry and commerce, a pan-European organisation, leading research organisations, academia, and media. The aim is to create a series of participatory and media events to promote research careers, aimed in particular towards young people and their parents. Building on existing understanding developed through previous local initiatives including Researchers Night, and with reference to Europe-wide research like the Special Eurobarometer 401, as well as the MASIS report and the in-depth Education and Training Monitor 2015 for Bulgaria , the focus of this 20-month programme will be on enhancing the public understanding of and engagement with science. Core activities during the Night will include a digital participatory campaign to engage audiences across the country; international live streaming; science city quests and quizzes; science cafes; hands-on experiments; science shows; simulations; games and competitions. Thematic programmes will include, among other, food and nutrition, inspired by 2016 International Year of Pulses , engineering, oceanology, innovation and business incubators, technological transfer, medicine, and others. The on-the-ground activities will take place in the largest cities including several where Researchers Night has not been marked. Innovation will be an intricate part of the events through the use of online technology to enhance the physical activity, engage particularly young audiences and to guarantee sustainability outside the lifespan of the project. The activities of the first year will allow learning to accrue from a thorough evaluation. The project will strengthen the capabilities of the partners in organising events for a general audience, and for underserved audiences, including girls and people with hearing disabilities.