The RethinkBlue COST Action successfully concluded its Mid-Term Conference in Tallinn, Estonia, in January, bringing together scholars from across Europe to reflect on progress made and to advance social science perspectives on the Blue Economy. Building on the Action’s foundational framework, discussions focused on emerging contradictions, conflicts and synergies linked to Blue Economy policies, with a strong emphasis on sustainability, justice and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Alongside plenary sessions, the conference hosted intensive Working Group and publication meetings, strengthening cooperation and accelerating the development of key deliverables. Participants also took part in field trips exploring Estonia’s coastal and maritime landscapes, including the port of Tallinn, revitalised former fishing communities, and protected areas such as Lahemaa National Park.
“Reaching the mid-point of the Action allowed us to critically assess our collective work and sharpen our conceptual and empirical contributions,” said Action Chair Dražen Cepić. Co-Chair Birgit Pauksztat added: “The conference highlighted the value of place-based learning and strong working group collaboration in rethinking Blue Economy futures.”
The conference programme, including titles of papers, can be found here: https://rethinkblue.eu/news/programme-rethinkblue-mid-term-conference/
