Boosting blue Entrepreneurs’ competences toward an environmental care ecosystem Erasmus Project

Project Title

Boosting blue Entrepreneurs’ competences toward an environmental care ecosystem

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Cooperation between educational institutions and business; Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship)

Project Summary

Coastal and maritime tourism is the largest maritime activity in Europe and closely linked to many other parts of the economy. It employs almost 3.2 million people, generating a total of € 183 billion in gross value added and representing over one third of the maritime economy.
Coastal areas are important for growth and jobs, however, many of the small- and medium-sized enterprises that make up the sector struggle with a variety of challenges and cannot adequately exploit this potential alone. An healthy environment and high-quality services — by specialised and well-trained entrepreneurs and workers— will make coastal areas more appealing for marine and nautical tourism activities, sports, and green tourism.
OBJECTIVES
The general objective of the proposed project is to boost entrepreneurs’ competences, enhance their services and support their competitiveness in marine sector at EU level. Specific objectives are:
– SO1: Improve the institutional ecosystem identifying best practices and replicable models.
– SO2: Train the trainers in order to support entrepreneurs and want to-be entrepreneurs in adapting their businesses to current market, where a large part of customers are interested in support environmental-sustainable businesses.
– SO3: Encourage the creation of new businesses focused on blue economy (touristic businesses mainly) with a business model which integrate business competitiveness/growth and environmental protection. The project aims at filling the gap of the skills related to the entrepreneurs of the maritime sector.
TARGET GROUP Direct Target: educators, trainers, teachers which support entrepreneurs and business creation, entrepreneurs active in marine tourism, want to-be-entrepreneurs in marine tourism
Indirect target: policy makers, public authorities, tourists
SIX PARTNERS from 5 countries will take part to this project:
– Leader is The Maltese Italian Chamber of Commerce (MICC) is a non-profit organization whose aim is to develop and increase business opportunities;
– Varna Economic Development Agency (VEDA) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental association;
– Coopération Bancaire pour l’Europe is a Brussels-based European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG)
– Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação (SPI) is a private consulting company, created in 1997, as an active centre of national and international networks connected to the SME and innovation sectors.
– FVB (The Hive) is a “certified business incubator” delegated to promote the birth and development of innovative start-ups;
– The University of Malta (UM) it is the highest teaching institution of the State.
Two Associated partners will support the project activities along with Dissemination and Sustainability:
– University Maritime Platform (Malta)
– Department of Geosciences (Malta)
Description of ACTIVITIES:
– project management activities;
– quality assurance and evaluation activities;
– learning outcomes and quality indicators;
– Online Interactive map of Best Practices & Repository of training courses, experts’ interviews and datas;
– BLUESPROUt training programme;
– Interactive (E-learning)Training platform;
– project web site (design and programming, content);
– testing and piloting activities;
– dissemination activities;
METHODOLOGY: designed to incorporate necessary research, design, testing, production, implementation, exploitation and sustainability phases. Activities are scheduled to allow for essential reflection and inputs both by the consortium partners and target groups.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES RESULTS will be clearly related to the specific objectives of the project.
IMPACT: increased competences of blue entrepreneurs, want to-be entrepreneurs, workers, learners, trainers and techers; increased awareness of participants (at local, national, European level) about opportunities and innovative trends (as the application of the principles for a sustainable Blue Economy) in the coastal and marine touristic sector.
PARTICIPANTS: number of participants from the target group and potential beneficiaries: 500

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 209929 Eur

Project Coordinator

Maltese Italian Chamber of Commerce & Country: MT

Project Partners

• SOCIEDADE PORTUGUESA DE INOVACAO CONSULTADORIA EMPRESARIAL E FOMENTO DA INOVACAO SA
• FVB S.R.L
• COOPERATION BANCAIRE POUR L’EUROPE
• UNIVERSITA TA MALTA
• Varna Economic Development Agency