BluePortLab: Multi-use Spatial Concepts for the Blue Economy: Leveraging on Sustainable Port Ecosystems through Living Labs

Gordon Wilmsmeier

Co-funded by the European Union

The urgency of the climate crisis and the European Union's ambitious goals to transition to a sustainable, clean energy future call for innovative approaches in all sectors of the economy. The blue economy is critical to this transition, and within the blue economy ports play a critical role at the intersection of water and land. Ports are central to the blue economy’s transition as most maritime activities rely on ports for operational, regulatory, administrative, organisational, and economic functions.

Ports are also central to biodiversity preservation and valorisation. The United Nations Global Compact in its practical guidance on the Sustainable Ocean Principles on ports recognises that ports are fundamental to many ocean-based activities and are, therefore, critical to sustainable ocean aspirations.

Addressing the Priority Area 2.2.2 Blue economy sectors, development of marine multi-use infrastructures, the BluePortLab project rethinks the role of maritime ports as hubs in the blue economy, leveraging their unique position to foster energy transition, biodiversity, and sustainable development through the development of novel maritime multiuse spatial concepts.

KLU Team:
Dr. Veronica Schulz

Project Partners:
Copenhagen Business School (Lead)
Danmarks Tekniske Universitet
Chalmerstekniska Högskola
University of Genoa
Port of Ravenna Authority
Port of Aalborg
Euro-Mediterranean University
Port of Trelleborg