The eighth edition of the EU Blue Economy Report has just been released. It provides up-to-date insights into the scale, performance, and emerging trends of ocean-based and maritime-related activities across the European Union. Below is a structured overview of its main findings, covering data up to 2023 and highlighting key sectoral developments, country-level distributions, and policy considerations.
1. Overall Economic and Employment Footprint
- Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2023
The EU Blue Economy generated an estimated €263 billion in GVA, representing 1.7 % of total EU GVA in 2023. - Employment in 2023
It supported an estimated 4.9 million jobs, which equals 2.4 % of total EU employment. - Ten-Year Growth (2012–2022)
Between 2012 and 2022, the real GVA of the Blue Economy rose by 37 %, accounting for 2 % of total EU GVA growth over the same period.
2. Established Sectors: 2022 Baseline (EU-27)
For seven “established” Blue Economy sectors (where reliable, comparable data exist), official figures for 2022 show:
| Indicator | Value (2022) |
|---|---|
| Turnover | € 890.6 billion |
| Gross Value Added (GVA) | € 250.7 billion |
| Gross Surplus | € 120.6 billion |
| Employment | 4.82 million persons |
| Net Investment in Tangible Goods | € 8.8 billion |
| Net Investment Ratio | 3.5 % (Net Inv. / GVA) |
| Average Annual Salary | € 27 016 |
Note on “Turnover”:
Calculated as the sum of each sector’s turnover; spans the full value chain and may involve some double counting.
Net investment figures exclude Maritime Transport and Coastal Tourism.
These established sectors cover:
- Marine Living Resources (fisheries and aquaculture)
- Marine Non-Living Resources (marine extractive industries)
- Marine Renewable Energy (offshore wind)
- Port Activities
- Shipbuilding & Repair
- Maritime Transport
- Coastal Tourism
Because these are the sectors for which the EU statistical system (Eurostat SBS, PRODCOM, DCF, National Accounts, Tourism stats, etc.) provides harmonized data, the 2022 baseline underestimates the full “Blue Economy.” If one were to include indirect and induced effects, plus emerging subsectors (e.g., blue biotechnology, desalination, sea-based digital services), the total footprint would be higher.
3. Sectoral Highlights (2021–2022)
- Coastal Tourism
- Dominant Sector: In 2022, coastal tourism accounted for 53 % of total Blue Economy employment and 33 % of total Blue Economy GVA.
- COVID-19 Recovery: After a 64 % drop in GVA and 59 % drop in turnover in 2020, 2022 saw a full rebound in both indicators. Because coastal tourism is large and sensitive to shocks, it traditionally drives much of the Blue Economy’s volatility relative to the rest of the EU economy.
- Offshore Wind (Marine Renewable Energy)
- Rapid Growth: GVA rose by 42 % in 2022 (compared to 2021), reaching € 5.3 billion.
- Profit Increase: Sector profits climbed to € 4.1 billion (a 56 % year-on-year increase).
- Significance: Offshore wind remains one of the fastest-growing segments across the entire EU economy.
- Other Established Sectors
- Marine Living Resources (Fisheries & Aquaculture): Continued modernization and efficiency improvements, though affected by global market shifts and sustainability measures.
- Marine Non-Living Resources (Extractive Industries): Demand for raw materials remains stable, but environmental regulations and supply chain dynamics (e.g., deep-sea mining prospects) are evolving.
- Port Activities & Maritime Transport: Both saw moderate growth, driven by trade recovery post-pandemic; however, energy-transition costs (e.g., port electrification) and decarbonization pressures are reshaping investment patterns.
- Shipbuilding & Repair: Remains an important industrial cluster in a few Member States, with demand linked to both commercial fleet renewals and emerging segments (e.g., offshore wind support vessels).
4. Country-Level Distribution (2022)
- Top Four Contributors (GVA & Employment):
- Germany, France, Italy, Spain together account for 60 % of EU Blue Economy GVA and 52 % of its employment.
- Spain: Largest employer (20 % of Blue Economy workforce).
- Greece: Second-largest in terms of employment share (12.4 % of national workforce in Blue Economy).
- Variability Across Member States:
- Croatia: Blue Economy comprises 7.3 % of national GVA.
- Landlocked Countries (e.g., Austria, Luxembourg): Only 0.2 % of national GVA.
- Smaller coastal Member States (Portugal, Ireland, the Baltic States) also exhibit above-average Blue Economy shares relative to their overall GDP or employment.
5. Emerging and Complementary Sectors
Because reliable EU-wide statistics are limited for certain nascent activities, the Report supplements with qualitative and partial quantitative information on:
- Blue Biotechnology
- R & D in marine-derived pharmaceuticals, enzymes, bioplastics, etc.
- Growth potential tied to EU R & I priorities (Horizon Europe clusters).
- Seafood Retail in Non-Specialised Shops & Food Services
- Estimations on the value chain beyond primary production (retail supermarkets, restaurants).
- Highlights shifts in consumer behavior (e.g., online seafood sales, sustainable sourcing).
- Desalination Industries
- Strategic importance for regions facing water scarcity (especially southern Europe).
- Investment in energy-efficient desalination processes (e.g., reverse osmosis innovations).
- Ocean Renewable Energy (Non-Offshore Wind)
- Includes tidal, wave, floating photovoltaics, salinity gradient, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC).
- Still early stage; no fully harmonized EU output figures, but qualitative evidence suggests pilot projects in France, Portugal, and the UK (supply chain constraints and regulatory hurdles remain).
- Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for Coastal Protection
- Estimated 72 000 people/year affected by coastal flooding (EU-wide).
- Without enhanced protection, annual damages could rise to € 137 billion – € 814 billion by 2100 (depending on emission/mitigation scenarios).
- NBS (e.g., dune restoration, salt marsh re-creation) have benefit-cost ratios exceeding 3.5.
- Policy frameworks under the European Ocean Pact aim to mainstream NBS alongside “hard” infrastructure upgrades.
6. Policy Priorities and Strategic Outlook
- Sustainable Growth & Competitiveness
- Align Blue Economy expansion with the European Green Deal (climate neutrality, circularity).
- Leverage offshore wind’s strong momentum to decarbonize maritime transport and ports (e.g., shore-side electricity, hybrid vessels).
- Investment Mobilization
- Highlighted need for public-private financing, especially in emerging sub-sectors (blue biotech, non-offshore renewables).
- Role of the EU Blue Economy Observatory’s interactive dashboards in showcasing investment pipelines.
- Resilience & Strategic Autonomy
- Strengthen European shipbuilding and repair capabilities to reduce dependency on third-country yards.
- Bolster supply chains for critical marine minerals (e.g., deep-sea nodules)—in parallel with environmental safeguards.
- Skills & Employment
- Upskilling in digital and green technologies for fisheries, ports, and maritime construction.
- Fostering job creation in coastal tourism while ensuring resilience to climate-related shocks (storm surges, extreme heat).
- Data Gaps & Monitoring
- Although the 2023 edition reduces the lag (using preliminary Eurostat data for 2023), many subsectors (e.g., wave energy, marine robotics) still lack harmonized socio-economic indicators.
- Continued expansion of the EU Blue Economy Observatory’s data collection will be crucial, especially for monitoring progress toward EU Green Deal objectives.
7. Key Takeaways for Policymakers and Stakeholders
- Scale and Recovery: The Blue Economy is now nearly € 263 billion in GVA with roughly 4.9 million jobs, and has recovered strongly from the COVID-19 shock—particularly in coastal tourism (53 % of sector employment in 2022).
- Rapidly Expanding Subsectors: Offshore wind is a standout growth driver (42 % GVA increase in 2022). Policymakers should prioritize grid connection, permitting simplification, and training programs to sustain this trajectory.
- Geographic Concentration: Four Member States (DE, FR, IT, ES) produce 60 % of total GVA. Yet smaller coastal economies (e.g., Croatia, Portugal, Greece) derive a higher proportion of national output from Blue Economy activities and may require tailored support (e.g., R & D incentives, coastal protection funding).
- Emerging Opportunities: Blue biotechnology, desalination, and non-offshore renewables hold promise but need coordinated R & D efforts, public-private partnerships, and clearer regulatory frameworks to scale.
- Resilience & Climate Adaptation: Nature-based solutions in coastal areas can mitigate flooding risks and yield strong cost–benefit returns (> 3.5). Integrating NBS into EU Cohesion and Recovery programs should be high on the agenda.
- Data and Digitalization: Accelerating data gathering—via the EU Blue Economy Observatory’s dashboards—will help reduce lags and reveal early-stage trends, enabling policymakers to react faster to emerging sectors (e.g., marine robotics, circular ship recycling).
- Holistic Value Chain Perspective: The “established” figures (turnover, GVA, employment) understate the true impact. When indirect and induced effects are included—particularly for seafood retail, logistics, and downstream maritime services—the Blue Economy’s share of the overall EU economy is substantially higher.
Next Steps and Recommendations
- Continue Reducing Data Lag
- Expand efforts to use provisional Eurostat indicators so that most recent years (e.g., 2024) appear with minimal delay, enabling more agile policymaking.
- Targeted Investment Roadmaps
- For sectors like blue biotechnology and desalination, develop specific investment frameworks—combining Horizon Europe funding, European Investment Bank loans, and national cohesion resources.
- Upskilling and Workforce Transition
- Given that coastal tourism still employs over half of Blue Economy workers, develop retraining schemes (e.g., to pivot toward eco-tourism, maritime tech roles) so that pandemic-related downturns or climate impacts do not leave workers stranded.
- Mainstreaming Nature-Based Solutions
- Integrate NBS into all coastal infrastructure projects—building on the positive benefit–cost ratios—and ensure that rural and island communities are eligible for targeted support.
- Foster Strategic Autonomy in Critical Segments
- Strengthen EU shipbuilding (e.g., for offshore wind support vessels) and ports (e.g., green hydrogen bunkering) to reduce reliance on non-EU suppliers.
- Align with European Ocean Pact
- Use the Ocean Pact as the framework to coordinate Member State action plans, setting clear milestones (e.g., percentage of port energy from renewables, kilometers of restored wetlands).
By reinforcing data collection, supporting fast-growing subsectors, and embedding resilience and sustainability at every layer of the value chain, the EU can ensure that its Blue Economy continues to expand in a way that is competitive, climate-smart, and inclusive.