Abstract
Fisheries and Aquaculture, among the most popular activities in coastal regions of the world, play a pivotal role in the Blue Economy of the cross-border Adriatic region between Italy and Croatia. Second only to the Tourism and Transport sectors, and inter-connected with the Port Activities, shipbuilding and repair sector, Small Scale Fishery and AQuaculture (SSF-AQ) suffers for low performances in terms of public-private collaboration, applied research, and technological transfer. Many efforts have been done thanks to the 2014-2020 and previous programs, including INTERREG IT-HR, especially in smart solutions, digitalization, networking, but the core of the sector suffers from a lack of innovation and modernization of the fishing fleet that remain untouched. The fishing fleet in the first years of the last programming period was > 12,000 boats for a total of 984,788 kW engine power installed. All engines were diesel and over 80% of vessels more than 10-15 years old. The innovation status of the fleet is now even worst because of the combined economic effects of the pandemic crisis, Ukrainian war, and climate change. SMEs represent the backbone of the SSF-AQ economy for both countries and are the most affected by the current crisis. Despite the innovation in terms of smart solution, the combination of the increased fuel cost caused by the current energy and war crisis, and the climate change impact on the fish stocks have a tremendous impact in the short- and long-term sustainability of the whole sector. The Adriatic Sea is a semi-closed basin and is an extremely productive area for fisheries and farming, due to the strong outflow of nutrients from rivers and the periodic mixing of nutrients from the Mediterranean. But the climate change causes harmful impact on biodiversity and in the survival of species and livestock, including trans-boundary fish stock movements, anthropogenic stress strengthening overfishing, pollution, aquatic infections. Furthermore, the increase in fuel prices has greatly affected fishers’ and farmers’ costs and consequently there has been an increase in the prices of fishery and aquaculture products. Nevertheless, increase in product prices can not compensate the energy cost and cannot ensure survival of fishers, farmers and their families, less alone profitability of the sector. In this context, an innovative solution of electric-powered vessels that can reduce fuel consumption, noise and emissions at sea is desirable to mitigate negative economic and social effects on SSF and AQ and to financially support the sector. Funds like EMFAF should finance the fleet renovation and assure a multiplier effect, but there is still a lack of confidence and a need for the best research /knowledge transfer from the research sector to micro- and SMEs, testing and demonstrating the feasibility in real operative conditions. More, despite the technical feasibility, the innovation needs to act in parallel with a smart SSF-AQ and innovation approach managed in pair with a robust financing scheme. For this reason, we conceived THUNDERBOAT to develop and transfer innovation from Research to fishers, farmers, SMEs and Producers to achieve the sector's sustainability based on 3 E-innovation steps: (1) new vessels’ propulsion with Electric-engine that (2) increases Environmental quality with carbon footprint reduction and (3) Economic sustainability of SMEs by financial/investment skilling of SS-AQ agents. In this way THUNDERBOAT will implement the transboundary Green Deal of the Adriatic SSF-AQ fleet by refitting two <12mt pilot vessels with hybrid engines and allowing the use of renewable energy-sources, to achieve quick reduction of fuel costs, long term economic and environmental sustainability and more robust social security for fishers, farmers and their families. THUNDERBOAT will develop, design and implement activities, includin
Project details
Unibo Team Leader: Fausto Tinti
Unibo involved Department/s:
Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale
Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Alimentari
Coordinator:
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - Università di Bologna(Italy)
Other Participants:
Cromaris D.D.
(Croatia)
Zadar County
(Croatia)
Ministry Of Agricolture Of The Republic Of Croatia
(Croatia)
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries
(Croatia)
Istituto di servizi per il mercato agricolo alimentare - ISMEA
(Italy)
Centro Internazionale Di Alti Studi Agronomici Mediterranei - Bari (Ciheam)
(Italy)
Total Eu Contribution: Euro (EUR) 1.499.004,00
Project Duration in months: 30
Start Date:
01/03/2024
End Date:
31/08/2026
