The prosperity of the Baltic Sea Region is strongly dependent on efficient, affordable and sustainable cross-border connections within the region and beyond. “A high standard of transport is an important factor in contributing to the development of foreign trade and international exchange of services and knowledge,” says PA Transport Coordinator Algirdas Šakalys.

This year, all sectors, all spheres of life, face problems of various scales. The education system had to change drastically, adapting distance learning methods, retraining of staff, recruitment procedures, additional trainings, project implementation and, in reality, most of our life moved to the virtual space.

Flagship project CASCADE – Community Safety Action for Supporting Climate Adaptation and Development brings together civil protection specialists and climate change adaptation experts. The flagship status is a recognition for CASCADE’s aims to improve urban resilience in cities and towns in the Baltic Sea Region, as well as the overall macro-regional resilience and CASCADE now operates as a pilot example for cross-sectoral cooperation in the region.

The Covid-19 pandemic has severe negative effects on many small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). In order to reduce the damage as far as possible, the EUSBSR together with the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) has initiated a European support program. The goal is to include the other two remaining strategies, the Adriatic-Ionian and the Alpine. 

Nowadays, while the world is changing rapidly, innovation is everywhere around us and digital transformation encompassed all areas of life. Steve Jobs once said, “innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity – not a threat.”

Biobord platform developed in BSR Interreg project RDI2CluB, connects bioeconomy innovation networks around the Baltic Sea Region to share ideas, find partners and work together to create business opportunities in bioeconomy.

Close to 300 startups and entrepreneurs have benefited from improved incubation services, thanks to a project aimed at improving incubation services in the Baltic Sea region, called IRIS. 

Someone might ask whether this is an appropriate time to talk about the bioeconomy and future of regions when the world is focused on a microscopic, but powerful threat that has been able to halt humans' plans and actions temporarily, reduce access to financial resources and freeze development intentions. 

The STM BALT SAFE, a Flagship project under PA Safe, further improves tanker safety in the Baltic Sea by enabling route exchange on more tankers and providing digital VTS-services to them.

The bioeconomy will play a significant role in the green transition as it enables a shift from a fossil fuels-based economy to one based on renewable biological resources. It has gained traction in numerous sectors and industries, which have shaped the world and will arguably have an even greater impact in the coming decade.