Widespread Laboratory for the circular economy in the blue economy of the ER Region by ENEA

The proposal aims to create a regional, distributed laboratory for circular economy innovation in the Emilia-Romagna Blue Economy, bringing together existing research infrastructures, expertise and technologies into a single coordinated system that can support companies in making their operations more sustainable. Although the region hosts advanced research organisations, their solutions are not always directed toward the marine and coastal sectors, and there is currently no unified offer to guide a structured transition for blue-economy value chains. The proposed laboratory would act as a shared platform (integrated with the Rete Alta Tecnologia, the regional Tecnopoli, and potentially a future “Tecnopolo del Mare”) providing companies with access to high-level facilities and specialised support that would otherwise be inaccessible to micro, small and medium enterprises. Its activities would span circular and sustainable boating, biodiversity protection and ecosystem restoration, circular ports, preservation of cultural heritage in coastal and underwater environments, climate adaptation for coastal areas, early-warning modelling of extreme events, biotechnological valorisation of waste and by-products, water recovery and reuse, sustainable desalination, and circular approaches in fisheries and aquaculture. By making cutting-edge solutions available across the region, the initiative would accelerate the transition to a more circular and sustainable maritime economy. The main challenge lies in defining a lean and effective governance model requiring minimal resources, while the partnership would be led by ENEA and open to universities and research centres across Emilia-Romagna to maximise reach and impact.