The Blue Economy Commission of the Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Andalusia held its constituent meeting today in an act that has enjoyed the participation of the President of CEA, Javier González de Lara, and with the President of this Commission Javier Noriega, which chairs the Maritime-Marine Cluster of Andalusia.
The constitution of this advisory body supposes a CEA bet for favoring the blue economy, since this one has enormous potential to promote a new and sustainable growth of Andalusia. A development based on all those activities and sectors linked to the sea and the oceans, such as renewable energy, aquaculture and fisheries, the agri-food industry, maritime, coastal and cruise tourism, mining, transport and logistics, biotechnology , shipbuilding, among others.
In this regard, the President of CEA pointed out that, beyond "our territorial singularity, there are multiple factors that have opened new investment and business opportunities in the Blue Economy". Some factors that have to do with new technological advances in the development of infrastructures, of the fleet and machinery of the sea, the exploitation of the energy and transport potential, or the development and preservation of marine assets.
González de Lara explained that CEA has in place the development of a Report on the Blue Economy in Andalusia that "serves and feels the foundations of a future Andalusian Strategy for the Blue Economy, and to help identify investment opportunities, as well as to provide guidance for future policies in Andalusia. "
The Blue economy in Andalusia
In Andalusia, the first estimates and approximations about its economic significance are closer to 300,000 jobs and a contribution around 8-10% of the Andalusian GDP.
The Andalucian Community has more than a thousand kilometers of coastline that account for 80% of the population and around 70% of business activity, the largest number of fishing ports. Today, half of Andalusian exports are made by sea, through the network of ports worth almost 18,000 million, which is around 15% of the national total. Andalusia also has a powerful sector of marine and tourist aquaculture, and also, a naval industry specialized in the construction of ships and marine infrastructures.
The Blue economy in the European Union and Spain
The volume of business in the EU is € 566,000 million, with a gross value of € 174,200 million. It employs 3.5 million people; that is, 1.6% of total employment in the EU. In addition, 75% of European foreign trade and 37% of EU internal trade are developed by sea. And the blue economy represents 1.5% of the total GDP of the EU. This sector is expected to grow twice as much as the rate of the general economic increase until 2030. In Spain, the blue economy accounts for 2.3% of GDP, employs more than 690,000 people and heads two of the sectors: tourism and fishing.