The school commits to the blue economy as a partner in the European ATLIC project
The ATLIC project in a few words
The Atlantic InnoBlue Communities project aims to create a new approach to innovation and youth entrepreneurship (ages 16-30) in developing the blue economy of the Atlantic Area. The overall objective of the project is to build a "pilot Atlantic blue innovation community" based on open innovation labs, knowledge transfer, capacity building, and network support to meet sustainable development goals by 2030.
Launched in December 2023, the project is led by the Município de Santo Tirso (Portugal), funded by the European Interreg program, and conducted in collaboration with 10 European partners, including Bluelab Saint-Nazaire (Fab Lab) and L'École de design Nantes Atlantique in France.
Specifically, within the school, the project aims to support a new generation of designers in working on forward-looking projects directly connected to businesses in the blue economy, focusing on four major themes: energy, habitat, food, and transport.
The role of L'École de design Nantes Atlantique in the ATLIC project
The school is involved in the project through:
- Creating a community of students working on identifying challenges faced by blue economy businesses
- Establishing a collaborative online resource platform
- Mapping local and European stakeholders around the identified challenges
"On the Bridge | Tech and Transitions" the event on industrial decarbonization
As a partner of the second edition of the event "On the Bridge | Tech & Transitions," held on June 20, 2024, at CESI in Saint-Nazaire, focusing on collaborations aimed at decarbonizing industry, students from the Digital Design Lab shared their insights on habitat, energy, food, and transport with marine industry experts.
"Our ambition to participate in such a project related to the blue economy aligns fully with the school's responsibility to provide answers to the urgent climate challenges our world faces."
"Our ambition to participate in such a project related to the blue economy aligns fully with the school's responsibility to provide answers to the urgent climate challenges our world faces. Thus, we are committed to opening a research field for outcomes we hope will be promising. We will provide ideas and recommendations on best practices, as well as advice on effective communication strategies to reach and engage various target groups, especially young people. Our experience working with government agencies and leading higher education institutions will allow us to offer valuable insights into the political and institutional frameworks related to innovation and entrepreneurship", explains Florent Orsoni, Director of the Foresight and Professional Development Department.
Accelerating the transformation of the European blue economy
The blue economy, as defined in a European Commission report, encompasses "all sectoral and cross-sectoral economic activities based on or related to oceans, seas, and coasts." It includes well-established sectors like fishing and aquaculture, marine renewable energy production, port activities, shipbuilding and repair, maritime transport, and coastal tourism; as well as emerging sectors such as marine mineral extraction, desalination, and submarine cable management.
Transforming the European blue economy is essential to meet sustainable development goals by 2030 and to achieve a sustainable, neutral blue economy that is both productive and competitive. This transition requires enhancing the resilience of marine ecosystems, notably through conservation and restoration actions for marine biodiversity, and identifying innovative solutions.
A European Cooperation
The ATLIC project is financed by the programme européen Interreg 2021-2027.
The European Atlantic InnoBlue Communities project aims to strengthen ties among youth in the Atlantic region to address the challenge of transforming the blue economy. It stands out for its collaborative approach, involving four countries (France, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain) and ten partners, demonstrating a strong commitment to transnational cooperation.
At L'École de design Nantes Atlantique, the project brings together a collective of French and international students, researchers, and teachers around the City Design Lab.
Équipe et partenaires
L'École de design Nantes Atlantique
- Florent Orsoni: Director of Foresight and Professional Development
- Ophélie Moreau: Project Coordinator and Alumni 2020
- Frédérique Krupa: Director of the Digital Design Lab
- Arnaud Le Roi: Educational Coordinator of the Digital Design Lab
- Anne Lorgeoux: Educational Assistant of the Digital Design Lab
- Béranger Recoules: Head of Digital Workshop
- Lucie Marecaille: Technical Instructor, Digital Workshop
- Valentin Dupas: Developer
Affiliated - Polytech Nantes
- Toinon Vigier: Engineer and Lecturer
- Matthieu Perreira Da Silva: Engineer and Lecturer
Lead Designers
- Zakaria Khalfaoui
- Bruno Houssin
- Martin Cailleau
- Olivier Heinry
Experts (project leaders, tutors, and consultants)
- Éric Foulquier (UBO)
- Thierry Guineberteau (Nantes Université)
- Nadia Ameziane (Natural History Museum)
- Antoine Riot (Project Manager for Renewable Marine Energies & Decarbonisation)
- Frédéric PonsIndigo Civilization)
- Pierre-Yves Larrieu (Maritime Education Expert Consultant)
- Stefan Gallard (Grain de Sail)
Experts - consultants
- Olivier Rolland Jacob (Piriou)
- Benoît Serive (Blue Care)
- Antoine Petiteaux (alumni)
- Mathis Chiron (alumni)
- Namratha Vaidya (Sensipode)
- Coraline Guerriau (Educational Coordinator at Africa Design School)
Portugal
- Município de Santo Tirso (Santo Tirso) – project leader
- Associação para o Centro Incubação Base Tecnológica do Minho (Alto Minho)
- Associação Comercial e Industrial do Funchal - Câmara de Comércio e Indústria da Madeira (Funchal)
- Universidade dos Açores (Região Autónoma dos Açores)
Spain
- VIDA LACTEA, SLU (Lugo)
- Cámara Oficial de Comercio, Industria, Servicios e Navegación de Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña)
- FUNDACIÓN GALICIA EUROPA (A Coruña)
Ireland
- Institute for Methods Innovation (Dublin)
France
- BLUELAB SAINT-NAZAIRE (Fablab) (Saint-Nazaire)
- L'École de design Nantes Atlantique (Nantes)
Florent Orsoni
Director of the Foresight and Professional Development Department
For more information about the school's foresight service and to explore partnership opportunities, please feel free to contact us.