About
How European maritime ports can become sustainable, low-carbon energy hubs in a climate-neutral blue economy.
The project
BluePortLab explores how European maritime ports can become sustainable, low-carbon energy hubs and play a central role in the transition to a climate-neutral blue economy.
Ports connect land and sea, bringing together energy, transport, industry and local communities. This gives them the potential to do much more than handle goods and maritime traffic. BluePortLab explores how ports can combine renewable energy, green technologies and biodiversity initiatives while supporting regional development and social cohesion.
The ambition is to develop practical solutions that help ports reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption while creating value for the regions and communities around them.
The project runs from 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2028.
Rethinking how we use port spaces
BluePortLab explores new ways of combining different activities and functions within the same port area. These multi-use spatial concepts bring together areas such as renewable energy production, biodiversity and maritime activities.
By finding synergies between these activities, the project aims to help ports use their space and resources more efficiently and contribute to Europe’s clean energy transition.
The research focuses on three central questions: How can ports create synergies between energy production, biodiversity and economic development? What are the socio-economic and environmental impacts? And how can ports develop governance models that support resilient and sustainable management?
Testing ideas in real port environments
BluePortLab brings research and practice together through Living Lab Networks. These networks provide a setting where researchers and stakeholders can co-create, test and refine new solutions in real port environments.
The project combines different research methods with co-creation workshops, pilot projects and data analysis. Feedback from stakeholders will help the project adapt and improve the concepts as they are developed. Successful approaches can then provide inspiration for wider application in other ports.
Working across Europe
European cooperation is central to BluePortLab. The project involves the ports of Ravenna, Aalborg and Trelleborg as well as other ports connected to the partners’ research networks, including Hamburg, Rotterdam, Naples, Valencia and Antwerp.
By bringing together experiences from different maritime regions, the project creates opportunities to share knowledge and develop solutions across national and sectoral boundaries.
Port stakeholders are an important part of this work. BluePortLab brings together academia, industry, government and civil society to support collaboration and ensure that different perspectives are part of the project.
Creating lasting impact
BluePortLab aims to contribute to environmental sustainability, economic competitiveness, social cohesion and policy development.
Using a Theory of Change approach, the project will explore how renewable energy and biodiversity initiatives can become part of port operations, how sustainable port development can contribute to regional economies and how the transition towards a climate-neutral blue economy can involve the people and organisations affected by it.
Through research, testing and collaboration, BluePortLab aims to generate knowledge and practical approaches that ports and their stakeholders can build on beyond the project.
Funding
BluePortLab is funded by the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership Joint Call 2024 and co-funded by the European Union.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, its funding agencies or the European Union. Neither the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership nor the granting authorities can be held responsible for them.