Source: MEDCONNECT press release
Connecting blue innovators and scaling solutions across the Mediterranean: this is the mission of MEDCONNECT, the Mediterranean Lighthouse of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” officially launched on 29 September 2026 at the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in Cyprus.
At a time when the Mediterranean is under growing pressure from climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, MEDCONNECT aims to move promising innovations beyond the pilot stage and into real coastal environments, accelerating their deployment, financing and uptake across the region.
The public event took place at the Chamber’s premises in Limassol, Cyprus, opening the MEDCONNECT kick-off meeting on 29-30 September. The launch event included an institutional welcome, a presentation of MEDCONNECT, high-level diplomatic remarks by Ambassadors and representatives of Mediterranean countries participating in the project.
The two-day meeting was the first opportunity to bring the full partnership around the same table, align priorities and turn the project architecture into a shared programme of action.
The meeting was attended by Christos Arvanitidis, LifeWatch ERIC Chief Executive Officer, and Cristina Huertas-Olivares, Senior Scientific Officer at LifeWatch ERIC Statutory Seat.
LifeWatch ERIC leads WP9 “Innovation Ecosystem Capacity Building” and will be involved in: building and strengthening innovation ecosystems across the three Regional Hubs; enabling collaboration with 5-helix stakeholders and youth to drive investment and innovative solutions uptake; enhancing stakeholders’ capacities to adopt and scale innovations through targeted training; empowering off-takers to integrate innovations sustainably into their operations and services; fostering continuous multi-stakeholder collaboration to ensure solutions are user-driven to guarantee sustainable basin socio-economic development.
Funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe and coordinated by the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI), MEDCONNECT brings together 20 partners across the Mediterranean Basin. Over three years, the project will work through 14 national hubs and three regional living lab systems in Croatia, Cyprus and Spain, where 15 innovative solutions will be tested and refined under real coastal conditions. MEDCONNECT will also support access to public and private investment, digital monitoring, behavioural change and local capacity building, with the goal of scaling validated solutions and creating a lasting Mediterranean innovation ecosystem.
“MEDCONNECT marks more than the formal start of a European project: it is the beginning of a shared ambition for the Mediterranean,” said Gotelenne Piaton, MEDCONNECT Project Coordinator at CMMI. “Our goal is to connect actors across the basin, bring innovative solutions into real-world environments and create the conditions for them to be replicated and scaled.”
The two-day kick-off meeting brought together partners from more than 14 countries across the Mediterranean Basin, alongside representatives of CINEA and DG MARE, and concluded with a visit to the Port of Limassol and EUROGATE Container Terminal.
About MEDCONNECT
MEDCONNECT – Mediterranean Lighthouse Connectivity Platform for Scaling Up Solutions and Regional Partnerships – is the Mediterranean Lighthouse of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”. Funded by Horizon Europe and coordinated by the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI), the three-year project brings together 20 partners from across the Mediterranean and Europe to accelerate the restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems and the transition to a climate-neutral, competitive blue economy. Working through national hubs and three regional living lab systems in Croatia, Cyprus and Spain, MEDCONNECT will refine and demonstrate 15 innovative solutions under real coastal conditions, mobilise public and private investment, deploy digital monitoring and promote behavioural change.
Its goal is to establish a permanent Mediterranean innovation ecosystem that turns validated solutions into financed deployments aligned with the Mission’s 2030 objectives.
Follow MEDCONNECT
Website: https://medconnect-lighthouse.eu
LinkedIn: @medconnect-eu | Instagram: @medconnect_eu
MEDCONNECT is part of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” and is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101296089. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.