BLUE SKILLS

The “Blue Skills” project, coordinated by OGS on behalf of the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), is a concrete contribution from Italy to the 5+5 Dialogue, the intergovernmental forum of the Western Mediterranean for research, innovation, and higher education.

The training offer focuses on skills development and capacity building in the marine and maritime sector and includes a series of activities aimed at promoting a sustainable blue economy and training new professional profiles required by the job market (“Blue Skills to feed jobs”).

The project aligns with European and international strategies on the sustainable blue economy and involves the promotion and implementation of high-level training and capacity-building activities, with particular attention to developing countries, to train a new generation of technicians and researchers capable of addressing emerging climate, economic, and environmental challenges. This initiative helps to promote employment opportunities for young people and women, starting from the Mediterranean region.

The project is managed by the International Cooperation and Research Promotion Service (ICAP) of OGS, and the project activities include:

1. Organization of an annual 2nd-level international Master’s program in Sustainable Blue Economy, in collaboration with the University of Trieste;
2. Organization of an annual Summer School in Sustainable Blue Economy;
3. Promotion of international mobility through professional internships and scholarships for young talents and researchers (postgraduates and early-career professionals);
4. Organization of thematic workshops for knowledge exchange (knowledge exchange programme);
5. Coordination and strengthening of strategic partnerships by fostering synergies, networks, and international collaborations through science diplomacy;
6. Awareness-raising and dissemination of topics related to the sustainable blue economy and new job opportunities in the sector (engaging young people with the blue economy field).

For its impact and strategic relevance at a macro-regional level, the Blue Skills project has received several recognitions: the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) label in 2019, the WestMed Best Project Award in 2021, and in 2023, recognition as the best Master’s program in Europe in the Blue Economy sector.

In line with the new European Union Strategy for a Sustainable Blue Economy (2021), the name of the Master’s program was changed to “Advanced Master in Sustainable Blue Economy” (previously “Advanced Master in Sustainable Blue Growth”) starting from the 6th edition in the 2022–23 academic year.