Former First Minister to lead Black Sea regeneration group

Former First Minister and University of Stirling Chancellor Jack McConnell is to lead an international group which aims to drive regeneration of communities on the coast of the Black Sea.

War-torn Ukraine is among the countries that will benefit from sustainable economic development sparked by the group.

The DOORS Black Sea Special Interest Group, co-ordinated by the University of Stirling, was launched today, October 31, which has been designated International Black Sea Action Day.

This year is the 28th anniversary of the signing of the Black Sea Strategic Action Plan, which aims to improve the lives of the 16 million people from six countries who live near the Black Sea’s shore.

The DOORS Black Sea Special Interest Group will consider innovative and emerging opportunities for investment in the blue economy in Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Port Varna, Bulgaria 

The blue economy is the sustainable use of ocean, sea, and coastal resources for economic prosperity, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of marine ecosystems.

The DOORS Black Sea Special Interest Group brings together carefully selected entrepreneurs, researchers, and global statespeople to champion the distinct opportunities in this unique part of the world. Membership includes former Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky, former NATO Secretary General Lord George Robertson, and Galina Teleucă, Deputy Mayor of Jurilovca, Romania, a coastal community that has witnessed exemplary investment in blue economy infrastructure.

The themes being explored by the group include renewable energy, sustainable tourism, and aquaculture (fish and seafood farming). Innovative new technologies which can unlock an ability to understand the region’s environment in new ways are also being considered.

The group will develop a portfolio of investment opportunities to be published in spring 2025, connecting promising business prospects and budding entrepreneurs with investors.

Remarkable region

Special Interest Group Chair Lord McConnell said: “The Black Sea and its coast is a remarkable region of Europe with a distinct history, but an even more promising future. There is definite, untapped potential to develop the region’s economic prospects sustainably, building a thriving blue economy that can benefit both people and planet.

“Our selected themes of renewables, tourism, and aquaculture not only offer the promise of increased employment and investment but can help to support the region’s transition to a greener future through energy security, food security, and a celebration of its shared past. By forging meaningful and transformative connections between innovators, entrepreneurs and investors, the DOORS research project will seize these exciting opportunities, helping to transform that vision of a prosperous, sustainable future into a reality.”  

New approaches

The DOORS Black Sea Special Interest Group has been formed as part of Developing Optimal and Open Research Support for the Black Sea (DOORS), a €9 million EU-funded research project, linking science, policy, and industry for critical Black Sea regeneration. DOORS involves the University of Stirling alongside 34 partners from the Black Sea states and elsewhere in Europe.

Professor Andrew Tyler, Scotland Hydro Nation Chair at the University of Stirling and Special Interest Group Member, said: “Within living memory, the Black Sea was facing ecological collapse, impacted by decades of pollution, overfishing, and the introduction of alien species. The Sea's fragile recovery is now threatened by new challenges, from conflict to climate change.

“New technologies are enabling more sophisticated, joined-up approaches to understanding the Black Sea, its environment, and our interaction with its ecosystems. This enhanced understanding can help foster intelligent new approaches to economic development, supporting new businesses and enabling more effective regulation.”

Economic recovery

A thriving blue economy can also support stability in the region, where the ongoing war in Ukraine is having a marked impact on welfare and wellbeing. The Group hopes that its work can underpin the vital work of economic recovery, both in Ukraine and further afield.

Nadezhda Neynsky, Former Bulgarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and member of the Special Interest Group, said: “War in the Black Sea region is having a catastrophic impact. We have all seen the human tragedy inflicted through Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The environmental impacts of the war, and its impact on livelihoods throughout the region, will also cast a long shadow.

“Now is the time to plan for the future, to invest in security through prosperity and partnership, and to foster new opportunities for the region’s people, businesses, and communities.”

The DOORS project is funded by the European Commission through Horizon 2020. It brings together expertise and technology from 35 institutions from the Black Sea region and other European countries to address the human and climate change impacts on damaged ecosystems.

DOORS Black Sea Special Interest Group members

• Lord Jack McConnell: Former First Minister of Scotland and Chancellor, University of Stirling (Chair)
• Nadezhda Neynsky: Former Bulgarian Minister for Foreign Affairs, former MP, former MEP, former Ambassador, and Harvard scholar.
• Lord Robertson: former UK Defence Secretary, former Secretary General of NATO.
• Galina Teleuca: Deputy Mayor of Jurilovca, Romania
• Professor Adrian Stănică: Director, National Institute for Research and Development on Marine Geology and Geo-ecology (GeoEcoMar), Romania.
• Professor Andrew Tyler: Scotland Hydro Nation Chair, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling.
• Chris Frean: Head of Economic Diplomacy, British Embassy, Bucharest.
• Dr Vangelis Papathanassiou: Former Director, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research.
• Professor Joe Little: Entrepreneur in Residence, University of Stirling.
• Linsey Dickson: Interim Executive Director of Research, Innovation and Business Engagement, University of Stirling
• Professor Malcolm MacLeod: Senior Deputy Principal (Operational and External Affairs), University of Stirling.