The partnership of the Turning Blue – Integrating Young Offenders through the Blue Economy project, funded by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) under the EMFAF-2023-BlueCareers call, managed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) on behalf of the European Commission, is pleased to announce the successful completion of the project's final conference, held on 26 June 2026 at Templo da Poesia in Oeiras, Portugal.
The event, in which Magnetar participated as the Cypriot project partner, brought together national and international partners, professionals, companies, and key stakeholders for a day dedicated to exploring the links between the blue economy, criminal justice, social reintegration, employability, and social innovation.
A Day of Knowledge Sharing, Learning and New Opportunities
The conference programme featured:
• A TED Talk-style presentation of the Turning Blue project.
• An interactive activity, The Fishing Game.
• A hands-on workshop, Exploring the Blue Economy.
• A practical workshop, Diving into Employability in the Criminal Justice System.
• A participatory seminar and panel discussion on the European challenges and opportunities for social reintegration.
• A screening of the Turning Blue project video.
Project Results
Bringing together nine partners from five European Union countries—Portugal, the Netherlands, Romania, Cyprus and Italy—Turning Blue was launched three years ago with the aim of developing new cooperation mechanisms and educational resources for the sustainable blue economy. The project sought to inspire and support disadvantaged young people aged 16 to 30 who are serving prison sentences, helping them pursue sustainable career opportunities within the blue economy.
Based on a roadmap identifying the most suitable blue economy sectors for this target group, the partnership developed a Blue Economy Awareness Programme, a structured transition model linking correctional services, career guidance professionals, blue economy employers and civil society organisations, an online job-matching platform, and a mentoring programme connecting young participants with mentors to support their learning, career development and workplace integration.
The project engaged more than 80 young people in prisons across the five partner countries through its Blue Economy Awareness Programme. It also mobilised employers from the blue economy sector and delivered capacity-building training to over 80 professionals working in correctional services, career guidance, and the blue economy.
Alongside the final conference in Oeiras, the partnership organised an in-person Train-the-Trainer programme, five national seminars attended by more than 100 participants—including a seminar in Constanța, Romania, hosted with the support of the Maritime University of Constanța—as well as two European-level online events, reaching more than 500 participants across the partner countries.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined the partnership in Oeiras and contributed to making this event a success. While the final conference marks an important milestone, there is still more to come from the Turning Blue project, and further updates will be shared soon.
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About the Project
Turning Blue – Integrating Young Offenders through the Blue Economy is a 36-month project (2023–2026) funded by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) under the EMFAF-2023-BlueCareers call. The project is managed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) on behalf of the European Commission.
The project brings together correctional services, career guidance professionals, blue economy employers, and civil society organisations to create sustainable career pathways in the blue economy for young people aged 16 to 30 who are serving prison sentences.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
