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On 24 February 2026, in Rome (Italy), the final event of the CALLMEBLUE project brought together maritime clusters and strategic stakeholders to reinforce regional cooperation across the Mediterranean blue economy ecosystem.

Held in a hybrid format, the meeting convened representatives from North and South Mediterranean countries, alongside key institutional actors including CMB Advisory Board Members, the WestMED Initiative, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the African Union.

For Leancubator, this milestone represents more than a project closure,  it marks a strategic step toward structuring sustainable innovation pathways between clusters, entrepreneurs, and institutional ecosystems across the region.

Two strategic workshops shaped the discussions:

 Workshop 1 – From Strategy to Implementation: Regional Alignment

Focused on defining a concrete roadmap toward a sustainable Regional Alliance of Maritime Clusters, the session strengthened South–South and North–South alignment. Discussions built upon the WestMED Cluster Alliance framework, aiming to consolidate a shared Mediterranean vision grounded in operational cooperation, not only policy dialogue.

 Workshop 2 – Capitalising on Cluster Services Across the Mediterranean

This session addressed how clusters can move from networking platforms to structured service providers for innovation and growth.

Key reflections included:

• Designing joint innovation projects and cross-cluster cooperation mechanisms
• Developing capacity-building programmes for entrepreneurs and SMEs
• Structuring tailored services to accelerate blue innovation processes
• Strengthening access to markets, partnerships, and funding opportunities

As an innovation-driven organisation, Leancubator strongly supports the transformation of clusters into operational platforms delivering concrete value to startups, SMEs, and industry actors in the blue economy.

This final event consolidates a long-term ambition: Building a resilient, innovation-oriented Mediterranean cluster alliance capable of accelerating sustainable blue growth across Europe, North Africa, and beyond.