BLISS Proposal

The BLISS Consortium, coordinated by the University of the Balearic Islands under the EUNICoast Alliance of Universities and 20 additional partners, brings together expertise and initiatives focused on European islands and their communities. Islands are presented not as peripheral territories but as innovation frontlines — places where restoration, blue economy, and climate adaptation can be tested, scaled, and demonstrated. BLISS – Building Living Labs for Island Sustainable Solutions – is designed to support the transition of islands towards zero pollution, ecological restoration, and circular blue economies. Across eight Living Labs spanning the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Baltic–North Sea and Outermost Regions, BLISS pilots high-TRL, nature-based and digital approaches co-developed with local authorities, universities, businesses, and communities. This record contains the Manifesto of the BLISS Consortium and a compilation of letters of support from partner organisations, municipalities, research infrastructures, NGOs, and networks across Europe. The annexed letters show broad interest from institutions including Kvarken Council, FINMARI, Ålands Hushållningssällskap, Svinryggen, and the Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat. This Zenodo entry provides an open-access, citable reference for the Horizon Europe proposal HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-06 – Restoring Ocean and Waters on Islands. The manifesto outlines the following main themes: Island-driven Innovation – Highlighting the role of islands as active contributors to EU environmental intelligence, climate adaptation, and ocean restoration through sovereign data spaces, citizen science, and quadruple-helix partnerships. Systematic Replication – Describing the idea of establishing a Clean Waters for EU Islands Secretariat as a mechanism to coordinate Living Labs, mentor follower islands, and transfer proven solutions across Europe. Citizen and Youth Engagement – Focusing on micro-credentials, training programmes, and participatory monitoring so that schools, NGOs and citizens can take part in marine restoration and sustainable governance. Blue Finance and Technology Transfer – Exploring opportunities to unlock long-term investment via innovative financing, accelerator programmes, and licensing pathways tailored to small-island contexts. Open Science and FAIR Data – Committing to open access, persistent identifiers (DOIs), and ethical, GDPR-compliant data sharing so that every innovation benefits research, policy, and the public. This combined text presents BLISS’s vision of European islands as living laboratories for ocean and water restoration, circular blue economies, and climate resilience in a descriptive, non-binding manner.