Ravenna, Italy | 17–18 June 2026
The international conference “Advancing the Sustainable Blue Economy in the Mediterranean: Forging a Sustainable Blue Economy through Transformative Innovation” brought together policymakers, research organisations, industry leaders, innovation actors and public authorities in Ravenna on 17–18 June 2026 to discuss the future of the Mediterranean Blue Economy.
Organised within the framework of Ravenna Sea Capital 2026, the event was promoted by Regione Emilia-Romagna, ART-ER, Blue Ecosystem – BLU-ER Forum, Cluster BIG – Blue Italian Growth, OMC Med Energy Conference & Exhibition, and the Municipality of Ravenna.
As co-organiser of the conference, Cluster BIG – Blue Italian Growth played a leading role in facilitating dialogue among research, industry, institutions and innovation ecosystems, confirming its commitment to strengthening cooperation and accelerating the transition towards a sustainable, resilient and competitive Blue Economy.
Throughout the two-day event, Cluster BIG actively contributed to shaping the strategic discussions, organising technical sessions, facilitating networking opportunities and promoting collaborative initiatives capable of generating long-term impact across the Mediterranean region.
The conference highlighted that the future of the Blue Economy depends on stronger international cooperation, coordinated investment, technological innovation and effective governance capable of transforming environmental challenges into opportunities for sustainable growth.
Institutional Opening: A Shared Vision for the Mediterranean
The opening institutional session set the strategic framework for the conference, delivering a common message: the Mediterranean represents both a shared opportunity and a shared responsibility.
Mayor of Ravenna Alessandro Barattoni reaffirmed Ravenna’s ambition to become a national and Mediterranean reference point for the Blue Economy following its designation as Italy’s Capital of the Sea 2026. He underlined that:
- the Blue Economy is one of the city’s strategic economic pillars;
- Ravenna’s industrial heritage provides a strong foundation for innovation;
- sustainability must guide future maritime development;
- people remain the sector’s greatest asset, with women playing a central role in future leadership.
The launch of the DonneMare National Award symbolised the commitment to promoting inclusion, equal opportunities and female leadership within the maritime sector.
Francesco Benevolo, President of the Port System Authority of the Central-Northern Adriatic Sea, highlighted the rapidly evolving role of ports as innovation platforms, energy hubs and key enablers of both the green and digital transitions.Drawing on Ravenna’s offshore expertise, he emphasised that sustainable industrial value chains can only be developed through stronger cooperation among institutions, research organisations, industry and Mediterranean countries.
Michele de Pascale, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, stressed that the Blue Economy is no longer simply about economic growth—it is about sustainable growth. His intervention highlighted:
- Emilia-Romagna’s ambition to become a European leader in the Sustainable Blue Economy;
- Ravenna’s strategic position within the Mediterranean basin;
- the effective use of European funding programmes to translate strategic priorities into concrete actions;
- the strong relationship between sustainability and competitiveness.
He concluded by emphasising that future prosperity will depend on people, innovation, investment and the capacity of coastal territories to transform maritime heritage into opportunities for future generations.
A particularly significant moment of the conference was the official presentation of the Mission Ocean & Waters Recognition by Elisabetta Balzi, Active Senior Expert at the European Commission’s DG Research & Innovation.The recognition was awarded to Emilia-Romagna Region, Municipality of Ravenna, Port System Authority of the Central-Northern Adriatic Sea.
The award acknowledges the territory’s commitment to protecting marine ecosystems, promoting technological innovation and supporting sustainable coastal development while strengthening Mediterranean cooperation within the framework of the EU Mission Ocean & Waters.
The opening session was moderated by Giorgio Ricci Maccarini, President of Cluster BIG, who highlighted the importance of collaboration between research, industry and institutions to accelerate innovation across the Mediterranean.
I3FLOAT Workshop: Strengthening Mediterranean Innovation Ecosystems
As part of the conference programme, Cluster BIG organised the second I3FLOAT Workshop, attended by approximately 80 participants representing research organisations, companies, innovation clusters, public authorities and other key stakeholders.
The workshop aimed to present the I3FLOAT project – an ambitious European large-scale project designed to strengthen Europe’s leadership in floating wind energy by fostering innovation and interregional collaboration – its Strategic Innovation Agenda, and the ongoing prioritisation process while fostering dialogue across the Blue Economy innovation ecosystem.
During the session, Sara Tedesco, Senior Programme Manager at Cluster BIG, introduced the project’s objectives, governance model and strategic priorities. In collaboration with Pôle Mer Méditerranée (PMM), the workshop also presented the I3FLOAT Open Calls, which attracted considerable interest from participants. The workshop further benefited from the active involvement of Giorgio Ricci Maccarini, who facilitated dialogue with institutional representatives, and Gabriella Gagliardi, Events and Stakeholder Manager, who supported stakeholder engagement and networking activities throughout the session.
The lively discussion and networking opportunities reinforced collaboration among Mediterranean innovation actors and further strengthened the momentum towards a sustainable, knowledge-driven Blue Economy.
Transforming Offshore Decommissioning Innovation and Circular Value Pathways
One of the conference’s central themes focused on the evolution of offshore decommissioning from a process centred on infrastructure removal to a strategic opportunity for circular economy and Blue Economy development.
Speakers agreed that decommissioning is a complex, multi-stage process requiring strict compliance with legislative frameworks, environmental safeguards and safety standards. Rather than representing the end of an offshore asset’s lifecycle, decommissioning should increasingly be viewed as the beginning of new opportunities capable of generating environmental, economic and social value.
The panel concluded that this transition cannot be delivered by a single stakeholder but requires structured collaboration among offshore operators, regulatory authorities, research organisations and emerging Blue Economy actors. Offshore operators were recognised as the natural orchestrators of the process thanks to their technical expertise and asset management capabilities, while regulators play a fundamental role in creating the legal certainty needed to enable innovative reuse solutions.
A strong consensus emerged that the main barrier to circular decommissioning is not technological but regulatory. Participants stressed the need for clear legislative frameworks governing the repurposing of offshore infrastructure, ownership transfer and long-term liability, alongside public incentives capable of supporting innovative business models and accelerating industrial-scale deployment.
From Decommissioning to Circular Value: Eni’s Perspective
Carlos Friederichs and Stefano Salustro from Eni illustrated how offshore infrastructures approaching the end of their operational life can become valuable assets for the Blue Economy through circular approaches based on reuse, environmental enhancement and innovation.
A key example presented was Eni’s Artificial Reefs initiative, developed in collaboration with Università Politecnica delle Marche (UnivPM) and WSP, and supported by a dedicated offshore monitoring campaign. The initiative aims to assess the ecological potential of offshore platforms by analysing the biodiversity associated with existing marine structures in the Adriatic Sea.
The scientific assessment combines several complementary activities, including:
- visual inspections using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and underwater cameras;
- seabed mapping through Side Scan Sonar acoustic surveys;
- environmental monitoring based on CTD measurements, sediment analysis and water sampling;
- biological surveys to characterise marine communities associated with offshore structures.
Preliminary results demonstrate that offshore platforms can function as artificial reefs, supporting highly complex marine habitats characterised by rich biodiversity, structured benthic communities and bioconstructions. Surveys have also identified the presence of protected species, priority habitats and Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems, highlighting the significant environmental value of these infrastructures. Furthermore, the exclusion of bottom trawling around offshore installations has created protective zones where marine life can recover and flourish, reinforcing their ecological role within the Adriatic ecosystem.
The Eni experience also highlighted the importance of adopting the 3R approach — Reuse, Recycle and Reduce — to maximise the useful life of offshore assets, minimise carbon emissions and improve resource efficiency while supporting the transition towards a more circular offshore industry.
WD89 Platform (Eni, Gulf of Mexico) represents a successfull exemple of this approach.The platform was decommissioned through the Rig-to-Reef (RtR) Program, involving topside removal and relocation of the jacket to an approved artificial reef site. Approved in 2021 and completed in 2022, the project represents a solution that also preserved an established marine habitat, enhanced biodiversity and fish populations, and reduced the environmental impacts associated with full structure removal and onshore disposal, demonstrating a sustainable end-of-life reuse of offshore infrastructure.
By retaining the jacket as an artificial reef, the RtR approach conserved an existing ecosystem, supported marine life, reduced high-impact decommissioning activities, and minimized energy use and emissions associated with transport and dismantling. The project represents a recognized and regulator-supported example of environmentally sustainable offshore decommissioning.
New Opportunities Beyond Energy: Offshore Infrastructure for Digital Innovation
Maxie Reynolds (Subsea Cloud) presented an innovative vision for the future reuse of offshore infrastructure beyond traditional Blue Economy applications.
She highlighted that the rapidly growing demand for data center infrastructure is increasingly exceeding both available land and electricity grid capacity, while ensuring reliable 24/7 power remains a significant challenge as renewable energy systems continue to expand. At the same time, a growing number of offshore oil and gas platforms are approaching the end of their operational life.
In this context, repurposing decommissioned offshore platforms as offshore data centres represents a promising circular solution capable of transforming existing industrial assets into strategic digital infrastructure. By leveraging existing offshore foundations, energy connections and marine infrastructure, these facilities could significantly accelerate data centre deployment while reducing land consumption and easing pressure on terrestrial electricity grids. The concept also opens up new economic opportunities by extending the operational value of offshore assets, creating innovative business models and supporting carbon reduction strategies through more efficient infrastructure utilisation.
Together, the contributions from Eni and Subsea Cloud demonstrated how circular decommissioning can evolve beyond environmental restoration, becoming a catalyst for new industrial ecosystems that integrate marine conservation, digital innovation and sustainable economic development within the Mediterranean Blue Economy.
Circular Economy in Practice: The Contribution of CESTHA
A concrete example of circular offshore development was presented by Linda Albonetti Senior Researcher of CESTHA – Experimental Center for Habitat Conservation of Ravenna. Her contribution demonstrated how offshore infrastructures can generate environmental, social and economic value long after the end of their original operational life.
The submerged sections of offshore platforms contribute to increasing habitat complexity, creating shaded underwater environments that support marine biodiversity, while the emerged structures provide resting and nesting opportunities for several bird species. The presentation also showcased a successful local circular economy model centred on sustainable mussel farming. This experience clearly demonstrated that circular decommissioning can become an opportunity to generate lasting environmental protection, local employment and economic development simultaneously.
Offshore Infrastructure as Scientific Assets
During the decommissioning session, Gianmaria Sannino (ENEA) presented an innovative vision for the future reuse of offshore infrastructures. Rather than considering decommissioned platforms as obsolete assets, they can become permanent distributed infrastructures supporting:
- ocean observation;
- environmental monitoring;
- marine scientific research;
- Digital Twin Ocean development;
- climate and ocean forecasting;
- innovation in marine and coastal services.
His presentation highlighted the strategic importance of integrating scientific research, industrial infrastructure and public policy to strengthen Mediterranean resilience and improve the management of marine ecosystems.
Strategic Priorities for the Mediterranean Blue Economy
Throughout the conference, experts and stakeholders addressed several strategic themes shaping the future of the sector. The discussions consistently highlighted that stronger collaboration among countries, institutions, research organisations and industry will be essential to accelerate innovation and create resilient Blue Economy value chains.
By bringing together decision-makers, scientists, businesses and innovation actors from across Europe and the Mediterranean, Advancing the Sustainable Blue Economy in the Mediterranean reaffirmed Ravenna’s growing role as an international hub for maritime innovation and demonstrated that cooperation remains the most powerful driver for building a sustainable, resilient and competitive Blue Economy.
Gabriella Gagliardi
Events & Stakeholders Manager, Cluster BIG
