Promoting innovation, digital and green transition, and cooperation among Italian and Croatian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the blue economy sectors: this is the goal of the LEAP TO BLUE – Unleash the potential for joint transition in the blue economy project, funded by the Interreg Italy–Croatia 2021–2027 Programme and officially launched with the kick-off meeting held at the University of Zadar.

The University of Trieste is a scientific partner in the project through the Department of Economic, Business, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (DEAMS), with a team coordinated by Professor Rubina Romanello and composed of faculty members, research fellows, and technical-administrative staff: Guido Bortoluzzi, Alberto Dreassi, Chiara Marinelli, Antonio Eusebio Fiori, and Piero Gabrielli. The project, led by the University of Zadar, is expected to last three years, with a total budget of over six million euros, of which nearly one million is allocated to UniTS.

LEAP TO BLUE addresses shared challenges faced by the coastal regions of Italy and Croatia, including the adoption of advanced technologies, the development of digital and environmental skills, access to international markets, and the reduction of territorial disparities. The difficulties many SMEs encounter on the path toward green and digital transition—together with the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation—require integrated responses and a cross-border vision.

The project aims to engage over 150 small and medium-sized enterprises, supporting them in adopting sustainable and innovative practices, creating new jobs, and expanding into new markets. To achieve these goals, LEAP TO BLUE will promote training and mentoring activities, facilitate business collaborations through networking events, and implement a voucher scheme through two calls, allowing SMEs to access specialized services for innovation, growth, and internationalization.

The University of Trieste is actively involved in all phases of the project and will play a key role in two Work Packages. In WP2 – Cross-Border Partnerships and Service Launch for Blue Economy Transformation, UniTS will take part in workshops aimed at promoting the project’s opportunities to service providers and SMEs in both Italy and Croatia, including hosting one of the events in Trieste. In WP3 – Sustainability model for upskilling and reskilling to enable competitive and sustainable cross-border blue economy, UniTS will contribute to the development of a monitoring system for skill and human capital development, a strategic element for ensuring sustainable and long-lasting growth of the blue economy in the Adriatic context.

During the inaugural press conference in Zadar, Professor Romanello stated that the University of Trieste is particularly pleased to play an active role in an initiative aimed at strengthening the blue economy ecosystem in the Adriatic basin through collaboration among academia, businesses, and institutions. The project, she emphasized, represents a concrete opportunity to support SMEs in adopting more sustainable and digital business models, while creating new synergies on both sides of the Adriatic.

LEAP TO BLUE involves six main partners: in addition to the University of Trieste and the University of Zadar, participants include the Croatian Chamber of Economy, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing at the University of Zagreb, ARTI Puglia, and Unioncamere Veneto. The initiative is also supported by numerous Italian and Croatian institutions, including HAMAG-BICRO, the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, Unioncamere Italy, and ART-ER Emilia-Romagna.