Region Halland Initiative
Programme info
Description
Halland is a county in the southwest part of Sweden. A strong agricultural sector and an enterprise base of medium-sized companies with several stronger industrial actors. The food sector is particularly strong and has a potential to grow more.
For the long term resilience needs to be assured. The sector is vulnerable to climate change induced disruptions such as drought and heavy precipitation. Furthermore the area may see a larger inflow of inhabitants as southern parts of Europe becomes increasingly warmer over the coming century. Civil defence is another factor where increased self-sufficiency is needed to withstand events in times of unrest.
For securing biomass for food and materials, new sources must be added for redundancy and resilience. A backup system for land-based agriculture is needed. In Halland, a Blue Hub is formed to help accelerate the development of the blue bioeconomy sector with an initial focus on algae production in combination with wind power generation.
The project aims to develop and improve research and innovation capacity using advanced technology in large-scale food production and handling, fostering sustainable development and increased self-sufficiency in food within Sweden. Key activities include:
- Building capacity for innovation around large-scale production and food handling in coexistence.
- Enhancing innovation nodes and value chains in coastal municipalities.
- Addressing technical and practical barriers.
- Strengthening networks and collaborations across municipalities and regions to bolster the blue bio-economy.