MISTRAL

The MISTRAL project tackled the many technical challenges of the different Blue Growth sectors through increasing the share of knowledge:

  • Blue Energy- know-how/spill-over between blue and oil&gas energy sectors or developing policies for the use of renewable energies sources within ports;
  • Fishing & Aquaculture-breeding methods to achieve maximum diversification of the aquaculture species in a sustainable environment;
  • Maritime Surveillance – share best available technologies for the remote O&M activities of the energy power plants; Biotechnologies- explore and exploit new bioproducts for application in nutraceutical, health, cosmetic;
  • Coastal and Maritime tourism – develop norms and infrastructure for the sustainable cruising or planning systems for sustainable development of a land and sea continuum.

Type of tool

Guidelines/Road Map, Networking, Web Platform

Theme

Blue Growth

End-User

Local/Regional Authorities, Policy-maker, Private sector, Researchers

Geographical scale

Regional, National, Other

Year

2020

Keywords

Matchmaking, Networking, Technology Transfer, Partnership, 1:1 meeting

Pilot Areas

Málaga (Spain), Italy, Portugal, Croatia

What problems would this tool solve?

This tool addresses the following points:

  • Sharing among partner organisations tools and methodologies to facilitate technology transfer, enterprise creation, open innovation and international cooperation.
  • Need to increase the networking capacities of different actors in the Blue Growth ecosystem for a stronger Mediterranean community.
  • Need to encourage durable collaborations and partnerships between a wide range of actors from SMEs to larger companies, to clusters.
  • Supporting the scouting of new technologies in response to innovation needs assessment.

What is needed for its implementation?

Technological infrastructure

Matchmaking event software licence with integrated video calls for 1:1 meetings in the case of a fully virtual event. 

Training

Event management, knowledge of application and matchmaking platform/software set up, experience of delivering support services to SMEs both in relation to the scouting of new technologies and innovation needs assessment.

Investment 

Cost of the software. In case of a face to face event there are further costs related to the infrastructure of the matchmaking area e.g. installing a real stand structure, providing signage to make sure the area is identifiable, promotional material and gadgets, furniture such as tables and chairs, numbering system for the tables, a Welcome desk and a waiting area.

How to use it?

The toolkit can be used to present the opportunity to launch matchmaking events for stakeholders that are not familiar with this kind of networking. The toolkit is organised in 4 main sections:

  • the first one deals with the operational details regarding the organisation of matchmaking events (this section includes examples from the PPs’ pilot actions);
  • the second and third one present the lessons learned and the outcomes of each pilot action and
  • the last provides useful documents, links and resources.

What are the expected results?

Quantitative/qualitative

Number of meetings, Number of transnational meetings, Number of meetings rated cooperation possible and cooperation agreed following the first round of feedback gathering after the event.

Transfer potential

The matchmaking events enabled new forms of cooperation across sectors, actors and value chains which, as stated by the paper EC Blue Growth and S3 (2016), helps to boost innovation. The involvement of business actors, research centres and policy makers is the key for building a competitive advantage, attracting the best skills and becoming a fertile environment for Blue Growth. In particular, matchmaking is an obvious task in open innovation, and it could be addressed as “economic resource allocation process in the shape of a multi-sided market which involves the innovation partners and intermediaries” as stated in Holzman & alii (2014). This means that matchmaking comes with some costs and should therefore be carefully planned. Furthermore, matchmaking is well known for its complexity and the need for a multidisciplinary approach involving the appropriate stakeholders at the right scale. 

  • The methodology is recognized, it is already widely used by well renowned organizations such as the Enterprise Europe Network’s partners
  • The tool is ready to be implemented, but the final version including the cover page and graphics has not been released yet.
  • There is no need to have a social acceptability to implement it
  • There is no need to have a specific legal or institutional framework/instrument to implement it
  • Expertise and knowledge are required in the following areas:
    – event management,
    – application and set up of the matchmaking platform/ software,
    – experience of delivering support services to SME both in relation to the scouting of new technologies and innovation needs assessment
  • There is no need to have additional financial resources to implement it
  • The other pre-conditions for a successful transfer are engagement of innovation service providers
  • The tools and methodology use for transfer are national learning camps

Project contact

Further information