Launched in 2016 and continuously developed since, the Blue Growth Vigo Plan was developed in response to the European Commission’s Blue Growth strategy, offering a new, inclusive, and sustainable model for port development. The Port of Vigo was the first in the EU to adopt a truly integrated and holistic strategy for advancing the Blue Economy, recognizing that progress must occur across all sectors at once. It developed an innovative, bottom-up approach tailored to its specific context, with the goal of making the model adaptable to other EU regions. Central to this approach is the active involvement of all socio-economic actors and local stakeholders in identifying key priorities.
To support this, a permanent network of working groups was established, creating a space for ongoing dialogue and collaboration. More than 300 organizations from the port’s hinterland participate, representing the four pillars of the “quadruple helix”: government, private sector, academia, and civil society. These groups meet twice a year to evaluate progress, set objectives, and monitor impacts. Their input helps shapes actions in areas such as climate adaptation, competitiveness, and sustainable development. The governance framework encourages transparency and engagement through regular meetings, workshops, events, a public web portal, social media outreach, and satisfaction surveys.
As a result of this collaborative structure, 62 projects have been designed, 44 of which are either completed or in progress. This system supports effective evaluation of the Plan, goal tracking, and continuous improvement. It also helps identify sector-specific challenges and opportunities, which are shared with high-level platforms like the Atlantic Action Plan and the European Commission’s Energy Transition Partnership.
The Blue Growth Vigo Plan stands out as a model of inclusive, long-term governance that drives innovation, decarbonization, and social equity in the blue economy. Its participatory structure is key to its success and potential for global replication.