Blue Skills & Jobs: New Professional Profiles and New Skills for Sustainable Blue Growth

The topic of "Blue Skills & Jobs" is highly topical and central to European strategies, especially in light of environmental challenges and emerging employment opportunities in sectors related to the sea and water resources. Investing in blue skills means not only creating qualified jobs for young people but also contributing to the protection of our blue planet. The Blue Economy is an opportunity to combine development, innovation, and sustainability, and it is essential that young people play a leading role. Adopting a sustainable blue growth approach not only requires a transformation of economic models but also investment in technical education and vocational training systems to provide concrete responses to the demand for a highly specialized and well-prepared workforce to address the challenges of managing and conserving oceans and marine resources. In this context, education, vocational training, scientific research, and technological innovation play a crucial role, as does collaboration between governments, businesses, and international organizations to ensure the responsible and sustainable development of marine resources. An entire, intense day of work will be dedicated to these issues, highlighting critical issues but also illustrating proposals, recommendations, best practices, and innovations. A special afternoon session will be dedicated entirely to young people, who will be the true protagonists, presenting their ideas and projects in the sustainable blue economy.

Session Chair

Massimo Bellavista, Ecomondo Scientific Technical Committee for the Blue Economy, Head of Training and Safety for Workers on Board at Legacoop Agroalimentare

Morning Session Program

Opening and livestream with Motonave Bella Rimini at the Rimini Canal Port:
Hackathon Competition “BluesLinks” in progress

10.30 Anna Montini, Councilor for the Blue Economy, Municipality of Rimini

10.40 Giulia Carboni, Programme Coordination Manager for Sustainable Blue Economy at European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), European Commission

10.50 Elena Gaudio, Ministry of Education and Merit

11.00 Alessandro Pititto, Director and Head of International Area, COGEA, bip Group

11.10 Frigate Captain (CP) Ottavio Cilio, Commander of the Rimini Port Authority 

11.20 The BOUTCAR Project: Presentation of new professional profiles
Laura Zambrini, Manager of Demetra Formazione

11.40 Experiences and best practices in Galicia (ES)
María Caldeiro, FUNDAMAR

11.50 "Blueslinks: Blue Economy New Skills" project
Angela Nazzaruolo, Delta 2000

Live streaming with Motonave Bella Rimini at the Rimini Canal Port:
Hackathon Competition “BluesLinks” progress

12.15 MARE Cooperative: Innovation and development of aquaculture through learning processes and blue skills
Andrea Gugnali, Blue Project Manager, Cooperativa MARE

Blue talk for dialogue and discussion with the public at the end of the morning session

Afternoon session 14.30-17.30

Moderator:
Massimo Bellavista, Ecomondo Scientific Technical Committee for the Blue Economy, Head of Training and Safety for On-Board Workers at Legacoop Agroalimentare

Young Generation: Dissemination Day

14.30 Introduction by the moderator

14.40 Presentations by representatives of the schools involved in the BluesLinks project and presentations of the projects implemented in the context of the Blue Economy:
Istituto Vocazionale di Stato Versari Macrelli, Cesena (IT)
Antun Vrančić High School, Sibenik (HR)
Liceo Scientifico Cosimo De Giorgi, Lecce (IT)
Istituto Nautico di Ortona CH (IT)
Pomorsko-tehnička škola / Nautical and Technical School of Dubrovnik (HR)
Istituto Tecnico Industriale Nullo Baldini, Ravenna (IT)
Istituto Tecnico Superiore Mo.st di Ortona CH (IT)
Agricultural, Food and Veterinary School Stanko Ožanić, Zadar (HR)
Grazia Deledda Technical and Economic Institute, Lecce (IT)

Young Generation: Dissemination Day Conclusions
Professor Elena Gaudio, Ministry of Education and Merit

Hackathon Competition "BluesLinks" Project (IT/HR EU Programme)

16.30 Presentation of the activities carried out

16.45 Presentation of the video pitches

17.15 Conclusions and announcement of the winners by the Evaluation Committee

Evaluation Committee Composition
Vittorio Superbi, University of Ferrara (IT) - LP DELTA 2000,
Dino Cataldo Pierri, University of Bari (IT) - Polo Alto Adriatico
Alberto Rebonato and Filippo Menin (IT) - Confcooperative Veneto
Nicola Scapicchio, Business Designer, Innovation Manager, Temporary Manager, Business Consultant and Team Facilitator, representing Flag Costa Trabocchi (IT)
Alberto Basset, Professor of Ecology at the University of Salento (IT)
Ivona Jadrić, Director of ARGONAUTA, Association for Environmental Protection and Territorial Development of the Island of Murter (HR)
Valentina Knežević, representing Zadra Nova, a development agency in Zadra (HR)