Welcome to the Newsroom

In the newsroom, you will find a variety of information about the blue economy, indlucing the latest news, articles and updates. Stay informed about important developments in the sustainable use of ocean resources.

Explore the Success Stories section to read more about BlueInvest beneficiaries and their experiences.

SWEN CP launches the second vintage of its impact ocean fund

SWEN Capital Partners has officially launched its second vintage of the SWEN Blue Ocean fund, raising €160 million in its first closing. Targeting €300 million, this fund aims to support innovative start-ups focused on regenerating ocean biodiversity by addressing critical threats such as over-fishing, pollution, and climate change. With strong global investor interest, including major institutional players, the fund positions itself as the world’s largest ocean impact venture fund.

For more details, read the full article here.

SWEN Capital Partners | World Economic Forum

The European Ocean Pact: a blueprint for a sustainable maritime future

On 5 June 2025, the European Commission unveiled the European Ocean Pact, a bold and comprehensive strategy to safeguard the health, sustainability, and security of the EU’s maritime spaces. With over 70,000 km of coastline and 25 million km² of maritime zones, the EU is stepping up to lead globally in ocean governance.

Why an Ocean Pact?

The ocean is vital for climate regulation, biodiversity, energy, food, and global trade. Yet, it faces mounting threats from climate change, pollution, overexploitation, and geopolitical tensions. The Ocean Pact responds with a unified framework to coordinate policies, streamline legislation, and mobilise investments.

What is in the Ocean Pact?

At the heart of the European Ocean Pact lies a series of strategic priorities designed to transform how the EU engages with its maritime spaces. Central to this vision is the commitment to ocean health and climate action. The Pact sets ambitious targets, including the restoration of 20% of EU sea areas by 2030, the protection of 30% of marine zones, and a significant reduction in plastic and nutrient pollution. Marine Protected Areas will be expanded and more effectively managed to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Equally important is the drive to build a sustainable blue economy. The Pact supports innovation across key sectors such as fisheries, aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, and blue biotechnology. Through initiatives like BlueInvest and InvestEU, over €1 billion will be mobilised to scale up clean technologies and promote sustainable business models that align with environmental goals.

Recognising the unique challenges faced by coastal and island communities, the Pact introduces a new strategy aimed at enhancing their resilience. This includes fostering economic development, supporting climate adaptation, and ensuring that these regions can thrive in the face of environmental and socio-economic pressures.

To underpin these efforts with robust knowledge and foresight, the EU will launch an Ocean Observation Initiative and develop a Digital Twin of the Ocean by 2030. These tools will enhance marine data collection, improve forecasting capabilities, and raise public awareness about the state of the ocean.

Security is another cornerstone of the Pact. It outlines measures to strengthen maritime surveillance and defence, including the deployment of a European drone fleet and the protection of critical submarine infrastructure. Enhanced cooperation among coast guards and naval forces will ensure a more secure maritime domain.

Finally, the Pact reinforces the EU’s role in global ocean diplomacy. It commits to championing international agreements such as the BBNJ Treaty and the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, while promoting sustainable fisheries and marine biodiversity on the world stage. Through these pillars, the European Ocean Pact sets a comprehensive course for a healthier, more resilient, and more secure ocean future.

What’s next?

The Ocean Pact is more than a policy—it’s a call to action. It lays the foundation for an “Ocean Union” that integrates environmental, economic, and security goals. The Commission will work with Member States, stakeholders, and global partners to turn this vision into reality.

Read about the Ocean Pact here: https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/european-ocean-pact_en

Call for Tender: EU Coastal Monitoring Demonstrators

The ‘EU Coastal Monitoring Demonstrators’ Call for Tender, launched by Mercator Ocean International, aims to reinforce the Copernicus Marine Service’s interactions and collaboration with core users at the national and transnational level in the European Union.

The call closes on 18 September 2024.

Click here for more information.

Ship Financing Portal

Ship financing portal

The European Commission launched the Ship Financing Portal, designed to improve access to financing for the shipping sector and the wider maritime industry.

The platform, launched by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, provides businesses and organisations with a repository of available financial tools needed to drive fleet renewal and retrofitting, enhance efficiency, and reduce environmental impact.

The Portal in a nutshell:

Consolidated resource: the portal centralises access to a variety of pan-European financing products, simplifying the search for suitable financing opportunities for stakeholders across the maritime sector.
Current information: it provides up-to-date details on available grants, loans, and other financing products administered by the EU, Member States, and private financial institutions. This ensures that users are informed about the latest financing opportunities.
Sector-specific solutions: the portal lists financing products relevant for the shipping sector, facilitating the development and deployment of technologies and services to promote shipping decarbonisation. This aligns with the EU's commitment to steer the maritime sector towards a green transition.

The launch of the portal is a further step in supporting the greening of the maritime industry. The portal addresses the lack of available information on financing opportunities.

The European Commission invites all maritime stakeholders, including small and medium-sized businesses, financial institutions, and other organisations to explore the Ship Financing Portal and take advantage of the diverse financing opportunities available. This initiative underscores the EU's dedication to fostering a sustainable and competitive maritime sector.

For more information, please visit the Ship Financing Portal

EUSPA funding scheme grant

EUSPA has published a new Fundamental Elements funding scheme grant to support the integration of Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS) in maritime positioning and/or navigation solutions.

The Galileo HAS-enabled Maritime receiver Call for Proposals aims at designing, developing, testing and demonstrating a GNSS positioning/navigation solution, integrating Galileo HAS receiver, suitable to be embedded within the vessel navigation equipment.

Deadline for submission to the call: Friday, September 20, 2024 - 23:59 CEST.

You can read more about this opportunity at the EUSPA pages.

Oceanovation Festival - 21-22 June 2023

Innovation and technology are the cornerstones of a blue economy, and Europe is leading the way. A thriving Blue economy promises to bring innumerable benefits through the financing of projects and investments with a focus on marine innovation and circular economy solutions. This is why Blue Invest is a supporting partner of OCEANOVATION Festival taking place in The Hague on 21-22 June.

The Festival will bring together 350+ innovative founders, investors, corporates, and forward-thinking minds in the ocean space to identify, implement and scale the technologies we need to grow the blue economy in a sustainable way. As part of the Blue Invest network, you will be able to attend 2 days of workshops and engaging conversation with a 40% discount on the ticket. Take part in the different civities offered during the event such as a Founders program, dedicated Investor Program, Pitch on The Beach, Industry Workshops, and unlimited networking opportunities.

More information here

Protecting and Monitoring the Ocean - the Nordics

BlueInvest is partnering up with Ocean Autonomy Cluster for the seminar “Protecting and Monitoring the Ocean - the Nordics” taking place on 03 May in Clarion Brattøra and online.

Experts, innovators, and industry leaders will gather to discuss the current state and prospects of the blue economy in the Nordic region.

The session "Solutions looking for a problem - Entrepreneurs" is available for online participation. Register here.

The other parts of the event are by invitation only. Any questions can be addressed to Ocean Autonomy Cluster.

Programme and more information here.

Innovation Fund third small-scale call for projects

The third Innovation Fund small-scale call for projects was launched on 30 March 2023 with a budget of EUR 100 million for projects with a total capital cost between EUR 2.5 million and below EUR 7.5 million, it will be open for projects submissions until 19 September 2023, 17:00 Brussels time.

On 20 April, the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and the European Commission's DG Climate Action are organising an Info Day to present the call.

Registration and information here.

Discover the Black Sea Assistance Mechanism

BlueInvest and the Black Sea Assistance Mechanism are collaborating to provide market pathways for sustainable and innovative technologies at different stages of formation.

The Black Sea Assistance Mechanism offers participating countries practical support to help meet the blue economy goals of the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea.

The focus is on facilitating awareness and capacity of local and regional stakeholders by providing the Black Sea community with expertise on the blue economy, a network across borders on both shores to help project leaders find the right partners, as well as support with project idea development and share funding opportunities.