Success Story. CallmeBLUE: Building a Mediterranean Maritime Cluster Alliance

The CallmeBLUE project has become one of the Mediterranean region’s leading initiatives for strengthening maritime cooperation and advancing the sustainable blue economy.

Supported by the European Union under the WestMED framework and funded through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), it mobilised maritime clusters, public institutions, universities, startups, SMEs and innovation actors from Southern Europe and North Africa to drive a more connected and resilient maritime ecosystem.

The consortium – spanning partners from Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Greece, Tunisia and Algeria, with Egypt, Mauritania and Morocco on the Advisory Board – advanced practical cooperation, capacity‑building and long‑term regional integration, enabling progress well beyond policy discussions.

Running from 2023 to 2026, CallmeBLUE primarily positioned maritime clusters as engines of innovation, sustainability and regional economic growth.

Lidia Rossi, CallmeBLUE project coordinator and Managing Director at ForMare National Shipping Hub, described the role of clusters as follows: “Clusters serve as ecosystem facilitators, connecting key stakeholders of the Blue Economy, and bridging gaps to turn innovation into action through structured cooperation and territorial anchoring.”

Strengthening Emerging Maritime Clusters

A major outcome of the project was support for emerging maritime clusters in North Africa. Through Learning Labs, matchmaking local workshops and matchmaking forums, the project helped stakeholders improve governance, organisational capacity, and innovation ecosystems. Activities addressed maritime digitalisation, decarbonisation, blue skills, entrepreneurship, and sustainable marine industries.

Building Mediterranean Cooperation Networks

CallmeBLUE strengthened North–South and South–South cooperation by connecting businesses, researchers, public authorities, and investors through networking events and regional platforms. By linking fragmented maritime actors, the project contributed to a more integrated Mediterranean blue economy community.

Tools, Training, and Long-Term Cooperation

The project developed transferable training methodologies, cluster management tools, and networking mechanisms that can be replicated across the Mediterranean. Its digital platforms also improved collaboration opportunities for maritime startups and SMEs.

Another key achievement was the roadmap for a Mediterranean Maritime Cluster Alliance, aligned with the WestMED Initiative and Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) priorities. The roadmap aims to sustain cooperation beyond the project’s duration and position maritime clusters as strategic contributors to regional blue economy governance.

Recognition and Legacy

In recognition of its impact, CallmeBLUE received the 2025 WestMED Project Award for its contribution to strengthening maritime cooperation and fostering sustainable blue growth across the Mediterranean.

Today, the project is widely regarded as an important step toward building a permanent Mediterranean maritime cluster alliance – one capable of supporting innovation, sustainability, and regional stability through stronger cooperation across the sea basin.

The future of the CallmeBLUE project lies in its transition from a time-limited EU-funded initiative into a lasting Mediterranean cooperation framework, where its results are carried forward through a proposed Maritime Cluster Alliance aligned with the WestMED Initiative.

Rather than continuing as a standalone project, its tools, training models, and networking platforms are expected to be adopted by regional maritime clusters and institutions, supporting ongoing collaboration, innovation, and capacity-building across the Mediterranean blue economy.

European Policy and Funding Framework

The work of CallmeBLUE is embedded within a broader European policy architecture supporting the blue economy and regional cooperation. The European Commission has consistently recognised maritime clusters as catalysts for competitiveness, innovation uptake, and SME growth. Through sea-basin strategies such as WestMED and macro-regional cooperation frameworks, the EU promotes structured dialogue, cross-border value chains, and sustainable maritime governance.

Financially, cluster development and cooperation are supported by instruments including the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), as well as complementary programs such as Horizon Europe and Interreg. These mechanisms enable clusters to professionalise their management structures, launch innovation pilots, foster digital and green transitions, and facilitate SME internationalization. CallmeBLUE demonstrates how these policy and funding tools can translate strategic objectives into operational cooperation on the ground.

More Info about CallmeBLUE
Budget	Total: € 976.235 EU Contribution: € 780.988
Partners/Countries	Coordinator/ lead: ForMare – Polo Nazionale per lo Shipping – Italy Cluster Tecnologico Nazionale Blue Italian Growth (BIG) – Italy Federazione del Mare – Italy Clúster Marítimo Marino de Andalucía (CMMA) – Spain Pôle Mer Méditerranée – France ANIMA Investment Network – France Fórum Oceano – Portugal Strategis Maritime ICT Cluster – Greece Leanovator (Leancubator) – Algeria Cluster Maritime Tunisien – Tunisia
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Duration	1 October 2023 – 28 February 2026