While the relatively new term “Blue Growth” is often misunderstood, especially in tradditionally conservative maritime economy region like Piraeus, it is gaining recognition through successful initiatives like Blue Growth Piraeus. Often, it is difficult to encourange the private sector to engage. With commercially driven stakeholders, one needs to be absolutely clear with regard to their and the wider ecosystem’s benefits.
When the private sector is focused on financially profitable outcomes which can be easily measured, it’s never easy to encourage them to work to objectives that dont show immediate financial gains.
The City of Piraeus does not greatly differ from other port cities that are struggling to redefine their competitiveness in an increasingly competitive world where conditions are ever evovling.
The establishement of what we call the “MarineScape”, a selection of local and regional stakeholders from the quadruple helix (acedemia, industry, government and civil society) is key to the improvement as well as the successful transfer of good practice from Piraeus’ Blue Growth initiative to other partner cities. This diary serves to describe elements of our transfer project.
Stavros Messinis ULG Lead - Piraeus