The EFFECTIVE main objective is to develop a comprehensive scientific knowledge base and practical guidance, combining science, technological nature-based solution, digitalization, and social implication for the application of the Ecosystem-Based management to the protection and restoration management of the EU’s Mediterranean Blue Natural Capital. To ensure the success of this main objective, the EFFECTIVE project counts on partners with broad expertise in relevant areas covering all the three pillars of the EBMS (from applying research stages until companies) as follows: managerial pillar, information pillar, and participation pillar and also a nature-based solution. In addition, this project provides the implementation of the EBMS in four pilot areas (Mar de l’Empordà, Ebro Delta, Sardinia Septentrional, Cavo Greco) towards protection and restoration solutions, besides taking into account the connectivity between three of them through the existing Cetacean Migration Corridor. To achieve the EFFECTIVE main objective, the following 5 specific objectives (SO) are identified: SO 1. Apply EBMS to identify, analyze and extend an ecological corridor in the Mediterranean Sea, connecting habitats and biodiversity. SO 2. Apply EBMS to analyse and extend the status of [4] MPA in the Mediterranean Sea. SO 3. Demonstrate [4] nature-based seabed protection and restoration solutions, including preserving seabed carbon sequestration capacity, in a real environment. SO 4. To identify limiting factors, gaps and recommendations of existing MPA legislation regarding environmental and anthropogenic pressures, setting up links with previous projects. SO 5. To implement an innovative digital data visualization and aggregation tool in the form of a Digital Twin for enabling data exploration, research, participation and citizen science.

NEXTFLOAT aims at reducing the LCOE and increase the competitiveness of floating offshore wind (FOW) to accelerate large-scale deployment. The project will demonstrate an integrated system composed of X1’s lightweight floating platform with its proprietary PivotBuoy connection system – a novel design for offshore wind platforms that optimizes the structural design, reduces weight of the structure and greatly improves mooring and installation techniques and costs – and 2BE’s 2-bladed downwind turbine – an advanced rotor that requires less material, fewer components, reduced capital and operational costs and improved environmental benefits. The project also proposes innovations to bring cost-efficiency improvements to the dynamic cable by using aluminium as a conductor material. This innovative concept will be demonstrated in MISTRAL site in the Mediterranean Sea. The design of a 14MW fully integrated system will be developed with a strong focus on optimizing the technological solutions for deep waters and making it suitable for different EU offshore sites. In parallel, this design will take into account mass production and large-scale deployment as key elements to make floating offshore wind a competitive renewable energy source. The project will develop an industrialization roadmap for this FOW concept, in order to facilitate the mass production. Finally, NEXTFLOAT will define a commercial plan for future large-scale deployment that integrates cross-cutting aspects to ensure a sustainable replication based on the analysis of costs, life cycle assessment and socio-economic factors.

The TRANSEATION main objective is to demonstrate the effectiveness of marine and coastal hybrid blue-grey infrastructures and validate a new level of ecosystem-based management combining nature-based solutions, social implication digitalization to the protection and restoration of marine ecosystem health and services. To ensure the success of this main objective, the TRANSEATION project counts on partners and collaborators with broad expertise in relevant areas covering four types of entities in the project (from research and technological centers to companies and offshore industrial operators) as follows: managerial (CMCC, IOW, GLP, CTN), industrial (SAITEC, ITASKORDA, GEOCORAIL, CCELL), scientifical (OE, UOH, CMCC, AZTI, GAIKER, IOW, DTU, CTN) and participatory (SO, ECOOCEAN, AZTI, CTN, CMCC). In addition, this project implements three user cases towards marine and coastal infrastructures, considering the different life cycle stages. Then, the following 5 specific objectives are identified: Specific objective 1. Apply EBM through a systema approach to integrate hybrid NbS in marine and coastal infrastructures to support the preservation and restoration of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services simultaneously with addressing multiple societal challenges (environmental, social and economic benefits). Specific objective 2. Demonstrate the effectiveness of [3] type of coastal and marine infrastructures as hybrid NbS both to preserve ecosystems and support their restoration considering its replicability and scaled-up. Specific objective 3. To identify limiting factors, gaps and current issues of existing LEED initiative regarding “blue building”, setting up links with previous projects. Specific objective 4. To analyze the benefits and potential trade-off of these hybrid solutions in short and long-term for marine biodiversity and ecosystem services protection and restoration. Specific objective 5. Digital solutions for monitoring, analysis and social involvement