BCThubs project aspires to build R&I capacities in the Blue Economy sector of the participating Widening countries, focusing on Blue Culture Technologies (BCT) supporting the Underwater (UW) Cultural Heritage (CH) scientific research and tourism valorization.
Although the European seas are rich in UWCH sites and assets, only a few of them are exploited sustainably towards social welfare, cohesion and growth. BCThubs aims to build BCT Excellence Hubs supporting with new innovative solutions and products, the sustainable protection, restoration, valorisation, management, accessibility and promotion of UWCH. Each Excellence Hub brings together actors related to Blue Culture and UWCH, including research/academia, businesses, public sector, and societal actors (i.e. quadruple helix approach); mutually reinforcing their capacities and effectiveness towards raising the innovation excellence in sustainable Blue Economy/Culture in the respective regions; aligned with regional or national smart specialization strategies. Although the new Hubs will be scoped regionally, they will be interconnected pursuing cross-border collaborations on common strategic goals and new value chains aligned with RIS3 and other EU policies (i.e. Green Deal). The wider ambition of the project is the establishment of an EU-wide BCT Cluster that will create a formal connection among hubs, after the project.
Main outputs
BCT Excellence Hubs
Establishment of BCT Excellence Hubs in Greece, Malta and Bulgaria and preparatory actions for the establishment of an EU-wide BCT Cluster
Joint R&I Strategy
Development of a cross-border joint R&I Strategy for the Hubs’ operation
Investment Strategy & Plan
Preparation of an Investment Strategy & Plan for the implementation of the joint R&I Strategy
Innovative R&I Prototypes
Implementation of specific innovative R&I prototype solutions, critical for UWCH in Hubs’ regions
Pilots & Demonstrations
Design and planning of new pilots and demonstrations in the Hubs’ regions
Cohesion & Outreach
Cohesion and outreaching activities
Latest News and Events
BCThubs was presented at Changing Cities VII, highlighting Underwater Cultural Heritage as a driver for Regional Innovation and Smart Specialisation
On Tuesday, 16 June 2026, the BCThubs project was represented...
Read MoreBCThubs at the European Maritime Day 2026
BCThubs was proudly featured at the European Maritime Day (EMD)...
Read MoreAtlantis Consulting presented BCThubs at THALASSA 2026
Atlantis Consulting S.A. participated in THALASSA 2026, held in Larnaca,...
Read MoreBlue Futures Lab: Day 1 Practice Run Successfully Completed in Malta
On 26 May 2026, the BCThubs Malta Hub successfully completed...
Read More