The INTERREG Atlantic Area Project FANBEST (Funding Atlantic Network in the Blue Economy Technology Transfer: https://fanbest.eu/) funded by the EU-RDF aims to foster the technology transfer to SMEs active in the Atlantic Blue Economy by creating a network of public and private entities focused on the fund raising that make possible the start and scale-up phase.

Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Marine-i can help your business grow through enabling the specialist resources and support you need for Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I). We will help accelerate the stage at which you can demonstrate your new product and take it to market.

Discovery Room for SMEs in the Atlantic Blue Economy

The FANBEST & Marine-i Projects will hold a Discovery Room on the 18th of February (11-13 am CET) organized by the University of Exeter. The event will explore opportunities to assist SMEs developing innovative products or services for the Atlantic Blue Economy. SMEs active in the most important Blue Economy sectors such as Ocean Energy, Offshore Wind, Aquaculture, Coastal Tourism, Marine Bio-Technology and related sub-sectors are particularly welcome to apply.

The aim of the discovery room will be to engage with SMEs that are interested in a FREE OF CHARGE coaching programme, that will monitor the implementation of innovative product/services development and help the start and scale up phase of the SME. SMEs will have the possibility for a pitch presentation to highlight their innovative product or service for the Atlantic Blue Economy.

The Discovery Room will enable businesses to understand the opportunities that the offered coaching scheme represents for their business. It will also provide an opportunity to identify the most suitable businesses to take part in the limited coaching service.

The Coaching Service

The coaching service will be entirely tailored to the RD&I business challenge that the SMEs are facing at present and will provide critical skills for innovation management, access to funding and product/service launch. Taking place over a flexible, 6 months timescale the core coaching offering will follow the format behind the recently published “Radical Innovation Playbook”, using key canvasses and workshop formats to engage senior managers and technical development staff alike.

Benefits to SMEs appointed to the coaching service:

  • Tailored business assistance by experienced, professional innovation coaches teamed up with the University’s leading academic scholars.
  • Gain national and international visibility through FANBEST network and its services to Blue Economy SMEs.
  • Access to a large network of experts and stakeholders across disciplines and Blue Economy sectors.

Eligibility of applicants to the event & coaching service

  1. You are an early stage development SME of the Atlantic – Channel Area with an innovative solution and ambitions to scale up.
  2. Your product or service contributes to a sustainable Atlantic Blue Economy.
  3. Your product or service falls into one of the Atlantic Blue Economy sectors and sub-sectors:
  • Blue bioeconomy — the cultivation, husbandry or capture of living material from fresh or saltwater and activities based on the use or processing of this material.
  • Renewable Energy — including energy from wind, solar, tide, wave and thermal gradients.
  • Enabling technologies such as sensors, corrosion or biofouling resistant materials or coating, digitisation, electricity transmission equipment, multi-purpose platforms.
  • Novel materials from living or non-living resources.
  • Cleaner shipping.
  • Pollution – monitoring, clean-up or management.
  • Ports – New facilities that support the diversification or energy efficiency of ports.
  • Tourism – Sustainable tourism aiming at reducing its carbon footprint or enhancing biodiversity, or efficiently managing resources (e.g. water, food and waste) or tourist flows (e.g. diversifying offer, addressing seasonality and safety).

View the agenda here.