As it approaches three years of implementation, the ATLIC – Atlantic Innoblue Communities project has already advanced dozens of market-tested projects. The practical dimension is one of the model’s strongest aspects and in the base of these tangible results.
Partners of the ATLIC project, led by Santo Tirso Municipality and supported by the Interreg Atlantic Area, are in charge of placing participants under 30 in real business environments. They validate hypotheses, confront real operational challenges, and build professional networks.
The methodological pathway is structured into three phases: ideation, validation (maker), and scaling. In the first stage, through the Innoblue Labs, blue economy ideas are developed and refined into mature projects. The objective is not merely to foster creativity, but to prepare initiatives with sufficient consistency and viability to enter the market.
This is where the AA Youth Innoblue Market Immersion Programme plays a decisive role. Designed for consolidated projects rather than early-stage ideas, it combines one-week, face-to-face immersion stays within SMEs in other Atlantic regions with a two-week virtual follow-up phase. The goal is clear: to promote knowledge exchange and test business solutions under real market conditions.
Looking ahead, the model also raises a strategic question: the transition from validation to full-scale growth. The ideation and validation methodology is clearly defined, and the construction of a transnational community provides a solid foundation. Yet the project could be further strengthened by integrating a more robust private investment dimension, for example, through a structured network of Business Angels specialised in the blue economy.
Partners of the ATLIC project, led by Santo Tirso Municipality and supported by the Interreg Atlantic Area, are in charge of placing participants under 30 in real business environments. They validate hypotheses, confront real operational challenges, and build professional networks.
The methodological pathway is structured into three phases: ideation, validation (maker), and scaling. In the first stage, through the Innoblue Labs, blue economy ideas are developed and refined into mature projects. The objective is not merely to foster creativity, but to prepare initiatives with sufficient consistency and viability to enter the market.
This is where the AA Youth Innoblue Market Immersion Programme plays a decisive role. Designed for consolidated projects rather than early-stage ideas, it combines one-week, face-to-face immersion stays within SMEs in other Atlantic regions with a two-week virtual follow-up phase. The goal is clear: to promote knowledge exchange and test business solutions under real market conditions.
Looking ahead, the model also raises a strategic question: the transition from validation to full-scale growth. The ideation and validation methodology is clearly defined, and the construction of a transnational community provides a solid foundation. Yet the project could be further strengthened by integrating a more robust private investment dimension, for example, through a structured network of Business Angels specialised in the blue economy.
Publish date: 2026-02-24
