The Portuguese government will launch the Innovation Voucher for Blue Biotechnology for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) by the end of the year. The announcement was made by the Secretary of State for the Sea, Lídia Bulcão, during the closing session of Blue Wink-E 2024, emphasizing the strategic importance of blue biotechnology for Portugal, along with other emerging areas of the blue economy, and highlighting the role of B2E CoLAB in realizing this vision.

“We are working to launch the Innovation Voucher for Blue Biotechnology very soon, hopefully by the end of this year. This measure will support entrepreneurial and innovative initiatives by SMEs in the field of blue biotechnology, namely through the acquisition of innovation consulting services, technological assistance, or intellectual property rights protection, with a view to boosting their market presence,” she added. Lídia Bulcão emphasized that the Innovation Voucher for Blue Biotechnology “will stimulate this subsector of the blue economy, a factor as decisive for the competitiveness and internationalization of companies as the transfer of knowledge.”

“It is entities such as B2E CoLAB that bring innovation and knowledge to the subsectors of aquaculture, marine biotechnology, and living marine resources on a daily basis.”

Blue biotechnology is a rapidly growing field, with applications ranging from cosmetics to biomaterials, responding to global demand for sustainable products. For Portugal, this sector opens doors to leading innovation in Europe, promoting responsible use of marine resources. “It is impossible for this government to dissociate the sustainable dimension from the economic dimension when we talk about the blue economy,” she said.

Lídia Bulcão also highlighted the relevance of the Blue Bioeconomy Pact, a mobilizing agenda for business innovation co-financed by the PRR, representing an investment of €133 million. This pact, of which B2E CoLAB is an integral part, “represents the diversity of the Portuguese blue economy and the collaborative work necessary to promote and qualify this very important sub-sector.”

“It is entities such as B2E CoLAB that bring innovation and knowledge to the aquaculture, marine biotechnology, and living marine resources subsectors on a daily basis,” said the Secretary of State, adding that events such as Blue Wink-E are fundamental for bringing the ecosystem together, stimulating innovation, and promoting the exchange of experiences and creativity.

The Blue Wink-E 2024: Choose Blue, Live Green event, promoted and organized by B2E CoLAB, brought together experts, entrepreneurs, and leaders from various sectors, reinforcing the importance of developing effective strategies to highlight the value and potential of marine products, both in environmental and economic terms.