Blue Economy Cluster Builder

The Blue Economy Cluster Builder will work with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland to communicate and raise awareness of the benefits of the blue economy. It will enable businesses to take advantage of opportunities in this area, to help increase the number of Scottish companies operating in the sector and support the development of the industry in Scotland. 

This programme aims to connect SMEs from across different sectors, including low carbon energy, subsea engineering, offshore renewable energy, marine shipping, power in the sea, fish processing, aquaculture, marine transport, oil and gas, marine protection, sensors, IoT, new materials, and more.

In this way, the cluster builder can identify new products, technology and services, as well as possible skills gaps and barriers to growth. It can then prepare SMEs for future opportunities and facilitate collaborations.

Cluster builder activities include:

• events for SMEs
• one-to-one support for SMEs
• building a sustainable cluster and raising awareness of SME capabilities in the Scottish blue economy
• establishing collaborations between SMEs and research institutes, including academia and innovation centres
• market intelligence for SMEs

The Blue Economy Cluster Builder project is part-funded by the 2014–2020 European Structural and Investment Fund. The service is delivered by Aquatera Ltd.

You are eligible if you are:

• a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) - that is, with fewer than 250 employees and a turnover of less than £50 million
• registered in Scotland and/or have a Scottish address
• experienced in the blue economy sector or have aspirations to enter or diversify into the sector

This is a free service.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland.

Please visit the Scottish Blue Economy website for further information or to enquire about support.