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Charting the Path Towards a Sustainable Blue Economy: The Mediterranean Leading the Way 

Last week, we had the honor to participate at the Union for the Mediterranean’s session on finance and innovation as Sustainable Blue Economy accelerators, held within the Mediterranean Day at the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France.

Our Co-Founder Ziad Nesrine, speaking on behalf of Leancubator, shared a forward-looking message:

“The Mediterranean is among the regions most impacted by climate change. But with inclusive growth and innovation, it can lead the way in building a strong, fair, and resilient Blue Economy. To do so, we must invest in what matters most: people and skills.”

and highlighted six key levers empowering Blue Skills & Innovation that echo priorities of Algeria's Strategy for Blue Economy 2030:

1. Harmonized blue skills frameworks aligned with digital and sustainable transitions at regional level, enabling scalable models.
2. Youth and women inclusion as both a social justice imperative and a strategic economic necessity.
3. Open innovation as a catalyst, leveraging the triple helix model to bridge startups, academia, and industry.
4. Strengthening regional coordination and multi-level governance for policy coherence and impactful strategies.
5. Enhancing the role of clusters by breaking silos and fostering bankable, structured, long-term projects.
6. Modernizing curricula and expanding vocational training through centers of excellence to make blue careers attractive to young talent.

 At Leancubator, we operationalize these priorities through:

• The Aquatech Challenge, recognized “Best in Class” by WestMED, which empowers youth in aquaculture and coastal resilience.
• Transnational training programs and Strong commitment to cluster-based development as powerful platforms to turn innovation into local economic transformation.
• Cross-border collaborations like Eco-Cruising FU-TOUR and Cluster Alliance Med Blue, amplifying impact through collective intelligence.

Our belief is simple but bold: If we want a Mediterranean Blue Economy that is resilient, competitive, and just, we must make it aspirational and accessible, where every young woman and man sees not just a job, but a mission and a future.

Special thanks to the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) for convening this high-level dialogue and offering a stage to amplify voices across the region.