MAESTRALE
The project has been addressing the issue of Marine Renewable Energy for 3 years, involving researchers and experts from 8 Mediterranean countries. Most consistent outcomes have been achieved thanks to 10 Blue Energy Labs, developed as 40 laboratories involving research institutions, public authorities, SMEs and scientific experts. The intensive collaboration in the form of a participatory process all around the Mediterranean area enabled the development of 20 pilot projects, for which feasibility and sustainability assessments demonstrated that Marine Renewable Energy technologies in the Mediterranean can be implemented.
Type of tool
Theme
End-User
Geographical scale
Year
Keywords
Pilot Areas
Blue Energy Labs have already been tested/implemented in 10 Mediterranean regions by the MAESTRALE project partners. Further testing/implementation of more advanced labs took place during the Interreg MED Blue Deal project aimed at the capitalization of the MAESTRALE and PELAGOS projects.
What problems would this tool solve?
Blue Energy Labs are participatory processes engaging stakeholders of the quadruple helix in the decision process, in order to guarantee new initiatives in the field of blue energy be in compliance with regulatory frameworks, environmental-social-economic sustainability, landscape compatibility, marine energy potentials.
What is needed for its implementation?
Technological infrastructure
No technological infrastructure is needed.
Training
The MAESTRALE Blue Energy Labs can be replicated based on a set of Deliverables: 4.1.2 “Guidance Manual for Blue Energy promotion and networking”; 4.2.2 Training materials on Blue Energy; 4.3.1 “Blue Energy Pilot projects”; besides knowledge supporting tools: 3.3.1 Online Mediterranean Blue Energy GEOdatabase; 3.3.2 Blue Energy Potential in the MED Area; 3.1.1 Blue Energy regulations and funding framework.
Investment
No particular investment is needed to use this tool.
How to use it?
The Interreg MED BLUE DEAL project will develop Blue Deal Labs for transferring and capitalisation taking advantage from the lessons learnt through the Blue Energy Labs as participative processes and their concrete outputs, concerning feasibility studies of 20 pilot projects. Expected outcomes concern Blue Energy Plans of large coastal areas in target regions that will support actions of mainstreaming in national/regional policies, in order to foster entrepreneurial initiatives in the Blue Energy sector.
What are the expected results?
Quantitative
Around 1000 stakeholders have attended the MAESTRALE Blue Energy Labs.
Engaging stakeholders of the quadruple helix in the design process of Blue Energy plans and raising awareness of public-private initiatives in this field. The main goal is to include Blue Energy in maritime planning and governance in the Mediterranean area.
Transfer potential
Blue Energy Labs can be replicated elsewhere based on outcomes achieved in the MAESTRALE project. The deliverable 4.2.2 “Training materials on Blue Energy” includes a knowledge framework for training and transferring.
- The tool is not supported by scientific literature
- The robustness of the methodology used is not recognized
- The tool is ready to be implemented and used
- There is a need to have a social acceptability to implement the tool, since increasing social acceptability is among the results expected
- There is a need to have a specific legal or institutional framework/instrument to implement the tool. In general, the capitalization action started in Blue Deal is expected to make Blue Energy be officially included in maritime planning and governance in the Mediterranean area.
- There is a need to have a specific capacity or organizational expertise to implement it. Blue Energy Labs involved in the organization and implementation experts in design, specific blue energy technologies, participatory processes, legal issues, sustainability issues, etc. able to evaluate possible site-specific solutions together with local stakeholders.
- Additional financial resources would allow future implementation and potential improvement (as partially expected in the Blue Deal project)
- Other pre-conditions for a successful transfer:
– Use of the MAESTRALE Blue Energy Labs framework during co-working sessions, such as by trainers and students during training activities and during the Blue Deal testing and transferring Laboratories schedules in the Blue Deal project
Project contact
Simone Bastianoni: bastianoni@unisi.it