The blue economy is an opportunity to increase the benefits of human activities related to the sustainable use of marine resources. Especially in the Mediterranean countries, the development and promotion of these activities can improve the quality of life of those populations that live near the richness of the sea.
There are many challenges in the development of this economic sector. One of these challenges is the sustainability of projects related to maritime exploitation, in a world where responsibility towards the environment is prevalent and urgent. Therefore, it is important to have an umbrella that welcomes and promotes activities that better integrate the universe of political audiences in cities and regions with productive economic interests.
The role of Goteo Foundation in Blue Crowdfunding
At Goteo Foundation we believe that innovation in the blue economy in the Mediterranean will improve significantly if more investment funds are available. The best way we know is crowdfunding and that is why we have joined the project.
Thus, together with 12 other entities, we have launched the Blue Crowdfunding project to improve innovation capabilities in the blue growth sector by integrating the use of crowdfunding. This great team includes partners from 4 blue economy clusters, 3 crowdfunding experts, 2 academics and 4 regions.
Our role is to advise the initiatives and regional administrations as well as the campaigns that are put into practice, to assist in the construction of public crowdfunding policies. The Mediterranean countries involved are: Slovenia. Greece, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Italy, Croatia and Albania. The main driver is Ezavod and ECN also accompanies as an umbrella and expert.
The role of the network will be the configuration and management of the communication and dissemination plan. In line with it, also the promotional materials and relationship with the integration, transfer and capitalization of knowledge at transnational level of the EU. Also in the modeling and adoption of training resources.
Blue Economy: Mediterranean Fragility and Flip The Label
The project's ambition is to drive the shift from the use of public funds for innovation to the use of crowdfunding and crowdsourcing to finance, test and validate innovative products and services of the blue economy. We will focus on the following sectors: blue energy, maritime safety, maritime transport, maritime tourism, fishing and aquaculture.
As you may already know, there are several projects promoted from our platform with the mission of improving and raising awareness about the activities in our seas, some of them with a strong focus on migration policies. A notable campaign was [MEDITERRANEAN FRAGILITY] (https://goteo.cc/mediterraneanfragility), a project to explain to children how many refugee families lived on the other side of the Mediterranean and their reasons for crossing it. Through the design of children's clothing they were made to discover that reality and create awareness as well as critical thinking. The collaboration of OPEN ARMS and OPEN CULTURAL CENTER in Cherso refugee camp in Greece was crucial.
Another successful campaign was [FLIP THE LABEL] (https://goteo.cc/flipthelabel), a project for sustainable swimwear as an alternative to hyperconsumption making use of the circular economy by using materials from recycled plastics for its manufacture.
The objective was to spread a message of conscience in different areas. In the first place, to destroy the stereotype of the female figure in the swimwear sector, and as a second message, to convey the importance of consuming Slow Fashion and of being aware of the percentage that the fashion industry represents in polluting the planet.
Our objetive
As a Foundation, our objectives with the Blue Crowdfunding project are:
- Train for the creation of SMEs of the blue economy as well as the use of crowdfunding
- Create a transnational blue crowdfunding cluster with developed financing services
- Integrate international training in business support institutions
- Incorporate the change of policies and recognition of the use of civic crowdfunding in the regions
On a personal level, the entire Goteo team hopes to continue accompanying projects that provide social and economic benefits to current and future generations. We want to restore, protect and maintain the diversity, productivity and resilience of the ecosystem. Ultimately, we believe that it is through clean technologies, renewable energy and circular materials that we will reduce spending and promote the recycling of materials.
Joan B. Cabot 
