Since 2019, “Avenir littoral” has made it possible to distinguish 34 projects, supported by more than 84 stakeholders (companies, laboratories, associations, etc.), representing a total amount of more than €11.8 million and subsidized to the tune of 5, €3 million, for 30 jobs created, 46 maintained and 5 patents filed.
The State and the Region are therefore continuing this positive dynamic, by launching the 6th edition of “Avenir littoral”, with the support of the Pôle Mer Méditerranée and the Ad’Occ regional economic development agency and in partnership with the Agency of Rhône-Mediterranean-Corsica water, the French Biodiversity Office and the managers of marine protected areas.
With a budget of €600,000, financed equally by the State and the Region, it is aimed at companies based in Occitanie, as well as French or European companies wishing to establish themselves there by developing partnerships. durable.
The 2024 edition aims to bring out innovative solutions to the major challenges for the Occitanie coast:
the maintenance, preservation and restoration of marine and lagoon biodiversity and the de-artificialization of lagoon and marine environments: this involves limiting the anthropogenic impact (pollution, pressure from uses, de-artificialization, etc.) and climate change on marine and lagoon biodiversity (species, habitats, ecological functions), with particular attention to projects offering eco-designed tools and developments and generating a minimum of impact in terms of artificialization at sea.
the optimization of water management in blue economy activities (ports, boating, processing of seafood, urban development of coastal resorts: this involves financing projects whose objective is to achieve fine water savings (reuse, reduction in resources via new processes, etc.).
“After the success of the first five editions, the State reaffirms its commitment to accelerate the ecological shift on the Occitanie coast, in a planning logic. The 2024 call for projects should make it possible, in line with national guidelines and in particular the National Action Plan for resilient and concerted water management, to bring out innovative projects with strong environmental ambition, designed as close as possible to the territorial issues by players in the blue economy. Faced with threats to marine and lagoon biodiversity and the scarcity of water resources, concrete and innovative solutions must be tested to adapt our tools and practices”, Pierre-André Durand, prefect of the Occitanie region, prefect of the Haute-Garonne.
“With 220 km of coastline, the Occitanie Region makes its coastline a strength and promotes economic development combining ecology and innovation. The questions of marine and lagoon biodiversity as well as water management are at the heart of the concerns of the Occitanie Region and the Parliament of the Sea. Avenir Littoral provides, on these fundamental subjects for the development and attractiveness of the regional territory, new solutions, supported by local actors. The challenge is to support these actors in order to develop employment but also the influence and excellence of Occitanie in terms of the blue economy”, Carole Delga, president of the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditionranée Region.
