Blue Shuttle 6th Steering Committee Meeting Takes
The Blue Shuttle partnership met in Brest on 7th and 8th October 2026 for its 6th Steering Committee Meeting, with WestBIC represented by Seamus
The Blue Shuttle 6th Steering Committee Meeting took place in Brest, France, from 7th to 8th October 2026. Project partners from across the Atlantic Area gathered at the World Trade Center Brest to review progress as the project enters its final weeks, and WestBIC was represented by Seamus McCormack.
What is Blue Shuttle?
Blue Shuttle is an Interreg Atlantic Area project that aims to accelerate the digitalisation of the blue bioeconomy. It is building a Blue Innovation Network, using a quadruple helix approach that brings together business, research, public bodies and civil society, and developing an innovation strategy that makes it easier for the sector to adopt digital solutions. The focus is on marine living resources and blue biotechnology.
WestBIC is one of seven partners from four countries. The partnership is led by Fundación Bahía de Cádiz para el Desarrollo Económico (CEEI Bahía de Cádiz) in Spain, and also includes Munster Technological University, the Centro Tecnológico de la Acuicultura de Andalucía (CTAQUA), Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique, UPTEC and CIIMAR. The project is co-funded by the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme through the European Regional Development Fund and runs until 31 October 2026.
Day one: the Steering Committee Meeting
The first day was a full morning of updates from the partners leading each part of the project:
The first day of the Steering Committee Meeting was packed with updates from the partners leading each part of the project. Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique and CTAQUA opened with Work Package 1, the Creation of Transnational Innovation Network, looking at how the network linking businesses, researchers and public bodies across the Atlantic Area is taking shape. Munster Technological University and WestBIC then presented Work Package 2, the Blue Sector Diagnosis, sharing findings on the state of the blue sector and its readiness for digital technology. UPTEC followed with Work Package 3, Knowledge sharing for Blue Business Growth, covering how learning from the project is being shared with the businesses it is meant to benefit. The session closed with Coordination and Communication, led by CEEI Bahía de Cádiz, which covered project management and the final steps as the project approaches its close.
Day two: Blue Biotechnology Workshop
On 8th October the programme moved to the Le Quartz Congress Centre in Brest for a workshop titled Leveraging European Networks to Boost Blue Biotechnology Solutions. It presented Blue Shuttle alongside MARINNONET, another Interreg Atlantic Area project, and explored how transnational innovation networks can boost competitiveness and sustainability in blue biotechnology.
WestBIC is proud to contribute to Blue Shuttle and to the wider effort to connect Atlantic regions around the opportunities in the blue economy. Thank you to our partners for hosting and for a productive two days in Brest. To find out more about the project, visit the Blue Shuttle page on the Interreg Atlantic Area website.
Blue Shuttle is co-funded by the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme through the European Regional Development Fund.