The blue economy represents a strategic pillar for Portugal's future, which holds one of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones in Europe and has an ongoing process at the UN for the extension of its continental shelf. The Portuguese maritime sector contributes approximately 5% to national GDP, but the OECD recommends the transition from traditional sectors, such as coastal tourism and fisheries, to high-tech value-added industries.
The OECD points to the need for deep administrative reforms and the removal of bureaucratic barriers that delay the attraction of foreign capital, warning about the institutional complexity resulting from the overlap of ministerial competencies. It is also urgent to regulate and expand Maritime Technological Free Zones, allowing companies and research centers to test renewable energy prototypes, underwater robotics, and advanced sensors.
Portugal should focus its action on three major technological axes. The first is based on the decarbonization of maritime transport and port modernization, with the Port of Sines having the conditions to establish itself as an Iberian and European hub for green fuels. The second pillar lies in offshore renewable energies, where Portugal should lead floating wind technologies due to the high depth of its coastline, developing its own industrial value chain and integrating wind farms with wave energy and hydrogen production.
The third axis of growth is blue biotechnology and marine bioeconomy, an area where Portugal has international scientific recognition but needs to improve the transition of knowledge to the industrial market. It is necessary to invest in biorefineries, scale-up centers, and Collaborative Laboratories to process marine biomass and map the biodiversity of national waters in search of new high-value molecules and biomaterials.
