Study to Support and Design Skills Development in the Blue Economy

The blue economy is a key driver of sustainable economic growth, innovation, and employment across the European Union. Encompassing a wide range of activities – from established sectors such as coastal tourism, maritime transport and fisheries, to emerging industries including offshore renewable energy and blue biotechnology – the blue economy supports the EU’s ambitions under the European Green Deal and contributes to advancing the digital and green transitions.

In response to evolving labour market dynamics and the need for ensuring a skilled and adaptable workforce, the European Commission launched this study with the objective of mapping the current skills landscape, identifying future needs, and proposing actionable recommendations to address skills gaps and mismatches across blue economy sectors. 

In line with the European Ocean Pact, it seeks to shape the EU’s vision for a sustainable and inclusive blue economy, ensuring that its workforce remains at the forefront of global maritime innovation and leadership.

The study also aims to contribute to the objectives of the Pact for Skills and the broader Union of Skills initiative.

Outcomes of the study

The study found that across sectors – from fisheries and shipbuilding to emerging areas like offshore renewables and marine biotechnology - proficiency in geographic information systems, data analysis, cybersecurity, and project management has become foundational.

At the same time, green competencies in ecosystem restoration, circular‑economy practices, and sustainable resource management are increasingly non‑negotiable, reflecting both regulatory pressures and the European Green Deal agenda. 

These trends are facilitating the emergence of novel roles – AI specialist, blue carbon advisor, marine spatial planner, energy transition manager – that blend technical, environmental, and leadership abilities. 

However, the study also found that training remains fragmented: while webinars and workshops are widespread, hands‑on apprenticeships and interdisciplinary curricula are scarce, especially in remote regions and cutting‑edge fields like desalination and marine robotics.

Persistent barriers include limited career visibility, funding shortfalls, and time constraints, which stakeholders recommend addressing through stronger industry‑academia partnerships, immersive learning (VR/AR, gamification), and targeted investment to broaden access and inclusion.

BlueComp

A key output of the study is BlueComp, a dynamic and evolving competence framework, capable of adapting to new technological, environmental, and policy developments. The framework seeks to establish a structured approach to identifying the essential skills that support a sustainable, innovative, and resilient blue economy, as well as to serve as a foundation for education, training, and workforce development, ensuring alignment with the industry needs for both current and future marine and maritime professionals.

Publicly available Annexes 

The following Annexes can be found on the Maritime Forum website of the European Commission:

• Final report
• Annex B: a detailed report analysing the survey responses, including key trends, data visualisations, and sector-specific insights.
• Annex C: literature review report providing a detailed synthesis of the papers and projects reviewed, organised by blue economy sector.
• Annex E: mapping of 77 EU-funded blue economy projects. Each project is analysed for its relevance to blue skills development, with details provided on its title, funding programme, lead organisation, geographic scope, and key objectives and outcomes.
• Annex F: catalogue of 600 relevant training and educational opportunities across the EU. Organised by sector and region, it includes information about programme providers, durations, and the target skills or competencies addressed.
• Annex G: text mining report with an overview of the findings on skills and competence requirements from job postings, as well as the characteristics of education and training opportunities, based on an analysis of public databases.
• Annex J: focus group reports, including a general report with an overview of participants perspectives, as well as the individual reports for each focus group.