Work Packages

WP1 coordinates BluePortLab and keeps the project and its partners moving towards their shared goals. It oversees the project timeline, budget, reporting and funding requirements while coordinating activities across the five work packages.

The work package also monitors risks throughout the project and establishes a Data Management Plan to support responsible management of project data.

What we will do

• Task 1.1 – Coordinate the consortium and work packagesCoordinate regular consortium meetings, monthly work package updates and quarterly reviews to keep partners aligned and manage dependencies between activities.
• Task 1.2 – Monitor budgets and funding requirementsOversee financial management across the consortium and support partners in meeting national funding requirements.
• Task 1.3 – Coordinate reportingPrepare and coordinate biannual and annual reporting to the EU Blue Economy Partnership and other funding agencies.
• Task 1.4 – Manage risks and project dataMaintain the project’s risk register, develop contingency plans and establish the project’s Data Management Plan.

Deliverables

• D1.1–D1.6 – Regular biannual reportingRegular reporting on the project’s progress.
• D1.2 – Risk Management Plan and Data Management PlanPlans for identifying and managing project risks and project data.

How can ports, researchers, industry and local stakeholders develop new solutions together?

WP2 establishes Living Lab Networks in three key European maritime regions: the Mediterranean, North Sea and Baltic Sea. The networks create collaborative settings where partners and stakeholders can explore sustainable multi-use concepts for ports.

The work starts by examining existing research and mapping current port initiatives. Through co-creation workshops, BluePortLab then brings together local communities, industry and policymakers to identify challenges, opportunities and priorities in each region.

The Living Lab Networks provide the foundation for the pilot activities developed and studied in WP3.

What we will do

• Task 2.1 – Explore existing models and researchReview existing multi-use infrastructure models, sustainable port practices, biodiversity approaches and energy transition strategies to inform the development of the Living Lab Networks.
• Task 2.2 – Map existing port initiativesIdentify and map current energy transition and sustainability initiatives in participating and selected other ports. This provides a baseline for identifying potential synergies and defining the Living Lab Networks.
• Task 2.3 – Establish the Living Lab NetworksDefine the structure, roles and objectives of each network and adapt them to the local needs and context of participating ports.
• Task 2.4 – Engage stakeholdersBring together local communities, industry leaders and policymakers in co-creation workshops to identify regional challenges, opportunities and priorities.

Deliverables

• D2.1 – State of the art on Living Lab NetworksA report covering existing research and port initiatives as well as findings from stakeholder workshops, outlining how the Living Lab Networks can be formalised.
• D2.2 – Updated state of the art on Living Lab NetworksAn updated version of D2.1 incorporating further findings from the project.

WP3 takes the Living Lab Networks from collaboration to practical application. The work package develops and studies multi-use spatial concepts that bring different blue economy activities together within port infrastructure.

These concepts can, for example, combine renewable power generation, aquaculture and e-fuel production. BluePortLab will co-design concepts adapted to individual ports and study pilot implementations to explore their feasibility and potential impact.

Environmental and biodiversity monitoring is an integral part of this work. The results will provide data and insights for exploring how successful concepts could be adapted and scaled in WP4.

What we will do

• Task 3.1 – Co-design spatial conceptsBring stakeholders together in collaborative workshops to develop multi-use concepts adapted to the operational needs and environmental conditions of ports.
• Task 3.2 – Study pilot implementationsIdentify pilot projects for testing integrated renewable energy models, for example in aquaculture and hydrogen production, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving environmental performance compared with traditional port operations.
• Task 3.3 – Monitor environmental impacts and biodiversityEstablish biodiversity indicators, environmental impact metrics and incident response monitoring for pilot sites and collect information to assess ecological outcomes.
• Task 3.4 – Collect and analyse resultsAnalyse quantitative and qualitative data from the pilots to assess performance, regional impacts, feasibility and opportunities for improvement.

Deliverables

• D3.1 – Living Lab Network pilot implementationsA report describing the pilot implementations and results of the co-design workshops, including stakeholder impacts.
• D3.2 – Environmental and biodiversity impacts of Living Lab NetworksA report describing and analysing environmental and biodiversity metrics and data from the project.

How can solutions developed in one port create value elsewhere?

WP4 explores how the multi-use concepts developed in WP3 could be scaled and adapted for other European ports and industrial areas.

The work package examines spatial, environmental, ecological and logistical conditions for scaling the concepts. It also involves ports and industry stakeholders beyond the project to gather feedback, identify potential barriers and understand how the concepts could work in different settings.

The results will help BluePortLab identify best practices and pathways for applying the project’s findings more widely across Europe’s blue economy.

What we will do

• Task 4.1 – Develop a framework for scalingExplore how multi-use spatial concepts can be scaled to other ports while considering spatial, environmental, ecological and logistical feasibility.
• Task 4.2 – Engage external ports and industryOrganise workshops with ports and industry stakeholders outside the project to share pilot results and gather feedback on adapting the concepts to different settings.
• Task 4.3 – Document best practices and case studiesCapture technical, economic and environmental insights from the pilot projects and translate them into best practices and case studies.
• Task 4.4 – Assess scalability and impactAssess the potential for broader adoption across the EU blue economy, including environmental implications and opportunities for regional development.

Deliverables

• D4.1 – Scaling up multi-use concepts through Living Lab NetworksA report describing the potential and methods for scaling the multi-use concepts developed in BluePortLab, including logistics and supply chain considerations.
• D4.2 – Potential impactsA report examining the potential transformative impact of the concepts at EU level, including implications for stakeholders, regional development and the environment.

WP5 connects BluePortLab’s research and results with the people who can use them.

The work package engages scientific communities, industry, policymakers and the general public through the project website, social media, publications, conferences, seminars and outreach activities.

It also develops educational materials to increase public understanding of sustainable port operations and the blue economy. Through these activities, WP5 supports knowledge exchange and helps make the project’s findings accessible beyond the consortium.

What we will do

• Task 5.1 – Develop the website and communication channelsDevelop the project’s communication and dissemination strategy and establish and maintain the BluePortLab website and social media channels.
• Task 5.2 – Share scientific and non-scientific publicationsCoordinate peer-reviewed publications, policy briefs, white papers and contributions to open-access repositories to reach both scientific and wider audiences.
• Task 5.3 – Participate in conferences and outreach activitiesOrganise and participate in conferences, seminars and public outreach activities to present findings, engage stakeholders and support knowledge exchange between European ports, industry and policymakers.
• Task 5.4 – Develop educational materialsCreate educational content, including infographics and brochures, to increase public understanding of sustainable port operations and the blue economy.

Deliverables

• D5.1 – Communication and Dissemination StrategyA strategy for communicating BluePortLab’s activities and disseminating its results.
• D5.2 – WebsiteThe BluePortLab project website.
• D5.3 – Learning materialsEducational materials supporting public understanding of sustainable ports and the blue economy.