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Despite the opportunities that the blue economy offers for job creation, the average youth unemployment rate in the Mediterranean region is among the highest in the world. The problem has significant gender and geographical dimensions, affecting in particular women and the populations living in the southern and eastern areas of the Mediterranean. The aim of this chapter is to provide an understanding of how science diplomacy can serve as a tool to unlock the full potential of the marine and maritime sectors in the Mediterranean region by enhancing research infrastructures and providing opportunities for capacity building, skills development, and talent circulation. These measures contribute to support employment of women and youth, promoting the full realization of a “sustainable blue economy.” The case study of the Blue Skills initiative, implemented by the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics—OGS, in Trieste, Italy, was presented as a training path that has become a best practice to promote employability in the blue economy sectors. We followed a qualitative research approach to analyze how multidisciplinary training courses on sustainable blue economy positively contribute to boost employment and illustrate how international mobility and an effective human resources strategy also play an important role in increasing the attractiveness of research infrastructures. The findings showed that multidisciplinary curricula, designed in the context of the Triple Helix approach and its evolutions, which imply the involvement of different stakeholders in addition to research and academia, are an effective response to bridge the gap between skills and jobs in the marine and maritime sectors. The conclusions include recommendations to (1) develop a competence framework for sustainable blue economy to guide capacity-building efforts, (2) further identify “blue jobs” to tailor training curricula for maritime professionals, (3) deepen the understanding of knowledge gaps in the blue economy for targeted skill development, (4) engage maritime clusters to align skills with job demands through collaborative approaches, and (5) advocate for government involvement to address barriers to researcher mobility.

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Blue Economy in the Mediterranean: The Role of Science Diplomacy to Advance Research Infrastructures and Promote Employment Through Capacity Building and Skills Development

  • 工具书词条

  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Flavia Rolli,
  • Giorgia Rivoira,
  • Oriela Halilaj,
  • Mounir Ghribi

摘要

Despite the opportunities that the blue economy offers for job creation, the average youth unemployment rate in the Mediterranean region is among the highest in the world. The problem has significant gender and geographical dimensions, affecting in particular women and the populations living in the southern and eastern areas of the Mediterranean. The aim of this chapter is to provide an understanding of how science diplomacy can serve as a tool to unlock the full potential of the marine and maritime sectors in the Mediterranean region by enhancing research infrastructures and providing opportunities for capacity building, skills development, and talent circulation. These measures contribute to support employment of women and youth, promoting the full realization of a “sustainable blue economy.” The case study of the Blue Skills initiative, implemented by the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics—OGS, in Trieste, Italy, was presented as a training path that has become a best practice to promote employability in the blue economy sectors. We followed a qualitative research approach to analyze how multidisciplinary training courses on sustainable blue economy positively contribute to boost employment and illustrate how international mobility and an effective human resources strategy also play an important role in increasing the attractiveness of research infrastructures. The findings showed that multidisciplinary curricula, designed in the context of the Triple Helix approach and its evolutions, which imply the involvement of different stakeholders in addition to research and academia, are an effective response to bridge the gap between skills and jobs in the marine and maritime sectors. The conclusions include recommendations to (1) develop a competence framework for sustainable blue economy to guide capacity-building efforts, (2) further identify “blue jobs” to tailor training curricula for maritime professionals, (3) deepen the understanding of knowledge gaps in the blue economy for targeted skill development, (4) engage maritime clusters to align skills with job demands through collaborative approaches, and (5) advocate for government involvement to address barriers to researcher mobility.