This year’s forum on cooperation, sustainable development and the blue economy in the Black Sea region took place on 30 September 2026 at the International Congress Centre in Burgas, Bulgaria. It was organised with the support of the European Commission and the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communications. More than 600 participants from academia, business and the non-profit sector in Bulgaria and abroad attended.

Varna University of Management, the project coordinator, presented CodeBLUE at the annual Poster Exhibition held as part of the conference. The exhibition is a space where innovative solutions are presented and where stakeholders in the region exchange technological, project and scientific knowledge.

Interest in blue skills was clear throughout the forum. One of the questions put to Ms Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) at the European Commission, was “What are the blue skills of the future?” The discussion about the skills that coastal and maritime tourism will need in the coming years carried on around the CodeBLUE poster.

Taking part in the forum let us discuss the project’s approach with stakeholders outside the partnership and exchange views with other researchers and universities working on the blue economy. We also found new opportunities for cooperation.

The CodeBLUE partnership thanks everyone who stopped by our poster for their questions, ideas and interest in future cooperation.