PREP4BLUE D6.5: Pathways to develop capacity/skills needs to achieve the Mission targets by 2030

PREP4BLUE is a €4.9 million, three-year project framed within the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”. This document outlines strategies to build the capacities and skills needed to meet the Mission’s ambitious objectives by 2030, particularly in preparing stakeholders and citizens during the Mission’s first phase (2022–2025).

The main objective of this report is to explore what kind of skills are needed to boost citizen and stakeholder engagement in Mission Ocean & Waters, supporting major changes for protecting and restoring the ocean and rivers and making the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular. It brings together knowledge and ideas from all PREP4BLUE Work Packages, focusing on the needs of researchers, policy-makers, industry actors, and citizens. By identifying shared challenges and opportunities, the report provides a set of recommendations to help different groups work better together and develop the knowledge, tools, and strategies needed to achieve the Mission’s goals.

The identification of key skill needs was done through interviews, webinars, focus groups, and stakeholder consultations. Transversal skills (e.g., communication, stakeholder engagement, co-design) were consistently ranked as most essential, followed by technical and digital skills. Actions to scale and replicate solutions, and those fostering citizen engagement, were seen as most critical for the Mission's success.

A set of 19 key recommendations are structured into five groups:

1. Communication & Awareness: Centralize information across projects, create multimedia materials, and clarify social media roles.

2. Social Inclusion: Promote participation of underrepresented groups (ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+), and use inclusion KPIs.

3. Knowledge Transfer: Develop training for under-resourced regions, implement monitoring, and support science diplomacy.

4. Citizen & Stakeholder Engagement: Engage stakeholders early, tailor incentives, foster long-term feedback loops, and support grassroots initiatives.

5. Ocean Literacy: Boost training and citizen involvement through programs like EU4Ocean and online resources.

The report emphasizes that achieving the Mission’s goals requires inclusive, well-coordinated, and capacity-driven engagement at all levels — from policy and research to citizen action.