Over the five years of its existence, BlueBio launched four calls. The 19 projects co-funded under the first call concluded in 2023. However, the 30 projects of the three additional calls will run beyond the Cofund’s termination. These were in danger of becoming orphans, i.e. projects without an overarching support structure that could provide connection between consortia and support for impact generation.
As a longstanding fixture in the European ocean space, JPI Oceans is able to provide a legacy framework for projects such as those funded under Horizon Europe. Accordingly, as already done for the MarTERA ERA-NET Cofund after its termination, JPI Oceans member countries agreed to step in and adopt the ongoing BlueBio projects. The projects funded under the three additional calls of BlueBio will therefore benefit from follow-up and dissemination support past BlueBio’s conclusion, allowing them to contribute to further strengthen the European blue bioeconomy.
The JPI Oceans Management Board at its 30th meeting had formally approved a respective request by the BlueBio Governing Board to include the remaining projects into JPI Oceans’ portfolio. The JPI Oceans Board also approved a budget required to invest into the support of the BlueBio projects.
Over the coming months JPI Oceans’s role will include supporting the BlueBio website, updating BlueBio project pages on the JPI Oceans website and following up the BlueBio social media channels, organising final meetings for the projects of the 1st Additional Call and the 2nd Additional Call. The final meeting of the 1st Additional Call projects will be held in Brussels on 17-18 September 2024. JPI Oceans will also report on the conclusion of the 3rd Additional Call projects.
JPI Oceans has been involved in BlueBio since its conception, initially during the design-phase and later as a strategic partner. Showing its key role in enabling the European blue bioeconomy, JPI Oceans will now support BlueBio also in its post-Cofund legacy phase, providing the support needed to augment the much-desired impact from the project outcomes and the invested R&I funds to achieve them.