#EU4Algae :Overview of education, youth & business support for the European algae sector : summary report, October 2023

To accelerate the upscaling of the European algae industry, access to information, training, technology, finance and bioresources must be democratised. Increasing participation of young people and entrepreneurs in the algae industry is all about accessibility: access to space; access to education & training; access to equipment; access to funding; access to markets; access to mentors as well as access to each other via business matchmaking. Crucially, this access must be convenient in terms of visibility, affordability, flexibility, digestibility and the method of delivery. Young people care about the future. They increasingly want jobs with purpose. The sector must develop a compelling narrative which presents algae as an attractive, lucrative, future-proof career choice and climate solution which provides not only job satisfaction but also long-term economic, environmental and social benefits. In terms of improving the business environment, investment should be de-risked and incentivised through long-term market-stimulating mechanisms which build trust and certainty between value chain actors. Reducing the cost of production can be achieved through blended finance, subsidies, compensation schemes, tax incentives and the establishment of Producer, Interbranch and Group Purchasing Organisations in line with the Strategic Guidelines for a more Sustainable and Competitive EU Aquaculture. This will not only boost competitiveness of European algae with global markets, but also accelerate the transition to a green, circular economy under the European Green Deal, giving us a chance to stave off the worst of climate change and set the stage for a regenerative blue bioeconomy. In summary, to achieve an improvement of the educational and business environments for algae, Member States’ government representatives must be brought around a table with regulators, educators and businesses. Local, regional and national governments should work with educational institutions to develop diverse educational offers related to practical algae skills for the future blue economy. They should also co-develop long-term business support mechanisms such as subsidies to incentivise new businesses, attract private investment and streamline access to markets through regulatory reform. The recommendations in this document have been distilled into seven key takeaways for local, regional, national and transnational policymakers to integrate algae into educational and business support efforts moving forward.