The National Hub France facilitates local and regional stakeholders by providing the WestMED Community with expertise on the Blue Economy, help project leaders find the right partners with their extensive network on both shores of the western Mediterranean, support project(idea) development, help draft tender applications and advise on the most applicable funding opportunities.
The National Hub (co)organises events to help lead discussions on different maritime topics and can be found at (online) Blue-Economy related meetings to share their expertise.
The organisation of the National Hub has been mirrored for the Atlantic Action Plan with SML and Pole Mer Bretagne Atlantique (PMBA). This allows benefiting from the joint venture between PMBA and Pole Mer Mediterranee to enhance engagement by French stakeholders in each seabasin.
Contact the National Hub France for more information and see how they can help you.
National Blue Economy webpage
L’Economie bleue en France”, is published by the Secrétariat général de la mer and the Cluster Maritime Français
National WestMED newsletter
This newsletter provides information on events, calls for projects and publications related to the WestMED initiative. Don’t hesitate to send us information to be included in future ANCT memos or letters (events, projects in line with OuestMED objectives). You can subscribe by mailing to initiative-Ouest-Med@europe-en-france.gouv.fr
National WestMED webpage
This webpage is published and updated by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
Links to further information on the National Strategy for the Sea and the Coastline
https://www.mer.gouv.fr/strategie-mer-et-littoral-et-planification-maritime
https://www.mer.gouv.fr/strategie-nationale-pour-la-mer-et-le-littoral-une-v2-en-cours-delaboration
Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP Platform)
https://maritime-spatial-planning.ec.europa.eu/countries/france
Blue Economy News France
Blue Economy Calls France
Representatives France
Frédérick Herpers
Frédérick is an engineer in hydrography and oceanography. He has 13 years of experience in geophysics sciences (hydrography, oceanography, geography) for civilian and military purposes (at French hydrographic office (SHOM) but also at French procurement agency for the Defence ministry. He has 5 years of experience (2008-2011) in design and implementation of integrated maritime and coastal policies (EU, national, regional and local level) as Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) advisor for French Prime Minister at Secrétariat général de la Mer.
He contributed to the elaboration and adoption of the French maritime policy in 2009, the law transposition of MSFD as the environmental pillar of the national strategy for the sea and the shoreline. In 2009, he was project manager in French maritime consultation “Grenelle de la mer” in charge of inter-ministerial coordination.
As a consultant since 2014 at Stratégies Mer et Littoral (SML), he has been working in marine renewable energy strategy at regional level (Britanny), in maritime strategic planning at local level (Pays de Lorient, Var, Loire Atlantique, Britanny). He was involved in WestMed Initiative (2016-2017) as IMP expert.
For the EU project IMP/CC, he was project manager of the Blue economy studies for the 7 Southern Mediterranean countries. The outcomes were shared and endorsed by Countries, EU and UfM. Since 2017, he has also been involved as Sea basin expert for the facility to promote Blue Growth in Black Sea where he is involved in the assessment of Blue Economy in Black Sea countries in order to identify potentials and related projects for development with added value and job creation.
His specific areas of competence are the design and diagnostic of integrated policies (including implementation of relevant instruments: law, regulations, strategies, operational plans (MSP fi), knowledge-based solutions, governance).
He has a wide knowledge of existing and emerging maritime activities (market driven and not market driven) as key factors for the development of the Blue economy based on a sustainable use of the maritime and coastal capital.
Colin Ruel
Colin has worked on several French, European and international projects as content provider, data manager and administrative and financial coordinator. Since 2014, he is the Head of the European projects division at Pôle Mer Méditerranée (PMM), an innovation maritime cluster covering 2 French regions (Sud Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur and Occitanie regions) and gathering 420 actors active in the Blue Economy.
He is responsible for the participation of the cluster in European projects as partner and lead partner in various programs: H2020, European Neighborhood Instruments, Interreg programmes (Mediterranean, Italy-France Maritime), COSME, EASME-EMFF calls.
Those projects target key domains of the blue economy of which coastal management, port activities, naval, renewable marine energies, maritime surveillance, marine environment, aquaculture and blue biotechnologies. They also address transversal topics as support to R&D activities, cluster development, voucher schemes, services for the development of SMEs, etc. The list of past and current Eu projects is available here.
In addition, He accompanies cluster’s members, especially SMEs toward European support mechanisms such as H2020 collaborative projects, SME Instrument, Fast Track to Innovation, specific DG Mare calls, etc. The support provided takes different forms: identification of relevant calls, recommendations, help desk, partner search, proof reading, and writing).
Community-led actions to restore our ocean, seas and waters | Deadline 18 Sept 2024
/in Calls /by Communication teamTechnical assistance to support communities of actors to achieve the EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters objectives | Deadline 22 May 2024
/in Calls /by Communication teamInterreg NEXT MED: first call for proposals for transnational cooperation projects | New deadline 30 May 2024
/in Calls /by Communication team