From May 4 to 6, Zadar hosted a series of activities within the framework of the BLUESLINKS – New Skills for the Blue Economy project, aimed at fostering innovation, sustainable development, and new competencies in the fields of the blue economy, fisheries, and fishing tourism. The programme began with the Innovation Day, during which small and medium-sized enterprises from Zadar County operating in the fisheries and fishing tourism sectors were presented. Participants had the opportunity to learn about examples of good practice, innovative business models, and new approaches to the development of a sustainable economy connected to the sea and coastal areas. As part of the first day, a meeting of project partners was also held, where the results achieved so far were presented alongside the activities planned for the final phase of the project. Since the project is approaching its conclusion, partners reviewed completed activities, defined priority tasks, and agreed on deadlines for the upcoming period. The second and third day of the event were dedicated to the BLUEWAY Hackathon, the third hackathon organized within the BLUESLINKS project. Over the course of two days, pupils and students worked on innovative solutions within three thematic areas: resilient coastal communities, digital experiences in the blue economy, and green and low-impact tourism. Divided into teams of five to seven members, and supported by mentors, professors, and teachers, participants developed projects focused on addressing the challenges faced by coastal communities, creating new experiences in the field of the blue economy, and developing more sustainable tourism models. After intensive work on developing their ideas, the teams presented their solutions on the second day to an expert jury composed of representatives from academia, development agencies, and the civil sector. The jury included Prof. Marijana Jerić, Prof. Slavica Čolak, and Prof. Vlatko Knežević from the University of Zadar, Luka Vukoša from the ZADRANOVA Development Agency, Ivona Jadrić from the Argonauta Association, Prof. Alberto Basset from the University of Salento, and Mauro Conficioni from the DELTA2000 Development Agency. The winning team was Local Catch, consisting of Mia Debeljak, Alessandro Fiore, Nicola Giovanelli, Sara Maffeo, and Emma Pinto, who worked on the theme Digital Blue Experience. Their proposed application connects local fishermen with tourists through authentic fishing tour experiences, offering visitors a unique insight into local communities while simultaneously preserving coastal identity and promoting fishing traditions. Congratulations to the winning team, as well as to all other participants who contributed to the success of the Hackathon with their dedication, creativity, and teamwork. We are confident that this experience will support their further personal and professional development and open new opportunities and perspectives for the future. The final part of the third day’s programme featured presentations of ideas developed by secondary school students from Croatia and Italy on topics related to the blue economy. Participating schools included Ekonomska škola Zadar and Gimnazija Antuna Vrančića Šibenik from Croatia, as well as the Italian schools Liceo De Giorgi, Istituto Tecnico ed Economico Deledda, and Istituto Nautico Da Vinci. The BLUESLINKS project continues with its activities, and the next event will be the Info Day on Fisheries and Fishing Tourism, which will take place on May 15 in the Italian city of Lecce. More information about the event is available at the link below.
On the second and third days of the event in Zadar, the BLUEWAY Hackathon, the third in the Blueslinks project, was held. Over two days, pupils and students devised innovative solutions in three areas: more resilient coastal communities, digital experiences in the blue economy, and green, low-impact tourism. Divided into three groups of five to seven pupils and students, with the help of expert mentors and professors and teachers, they developed ideas and projects to solve the problems of depopulated coastal communities, offer new, innovative experiences in the blue economy, and provide solutions to make tourism more sustainable.
After working hard on developing their ideas on the first day, on the second day they presented their ideas in short presentations before a professional jury of seven members, which awarded marks for the best solution. The jury consisted of Prof. Marijana Jerić, Prof. Slavica Čolak and Prof. Vlatko Knežević as representatives of the University of Zadar, Luka Vukoša from the ZADRANOVA Development Agency, Ivona Jadrić from the Argonauta Association, Prof. Alerto Basset from the University of Salento and Mauro Conficioni from the DELTA2000 Development Agency. The team took the victory. Local Catch u sastavu Mia Debeljak, Alessandro Fiore, Nicola Giovanelli, Sara Maffeo i Emma Pinto, koja je radila na temi Digital Blue Experience.
Their app proposal enables local fishermen to connect with tourists by offering authentic fishing tours. The project's aim is to provide tourists with a unique experience of the local community they visit, while simultaneously contributing to the preservation of coastal identity and the promotion of the fishing industry.
Congratulations to the winners, and to all the other participants who embarked on the Hackathon adventure and worked diligently to develop their ideas. We are confident that their experiences at this Hackathon will help them in their further personal and professional development and open up new horizons.
The final part of the third day of the programme in Zadar concluded with the presentation of ideas by secondary school students from Italy and Croatia on topics related to the blue economy. Pupils from Croatian schools — the Economic School of Zadar and Antun Vrančić High School in Šibenik — as well as pupils from Italian schools Liceo De Giorgi, Istituto Tecnico ed Economico Deledda and Istituto Nautico Da Vinci, took part.
The BLUESLINKS project continues its activities, and the next activity is an Information Day on fisheries and fishing tourism, which will be held in the Italian city of Lecce on 15 May this year. For more information about this event, read the following. this link.
