1) Aephoria.net is a pioneer sustainable business incubation program that has trained 90 teams and incubated 32 startups over 4 years using a triple bottom line approach. 2) The document discusses blue economy and opportunities in sectors like maritime transport, aquaculture, offshore oil and gas, and more. It highlights opportunities in Greece like tourism and developing small businesses in Piraeus. 3) BlueGrowth is Aephoria.net's program that inspires entrepreneurs in the maritime sector through funding, incubation, and networking opportunities. It has helped launch 30 startups since 2014 that have created 65 jobs.

2. Andreas Stefanidis
Accelerator Director
Aephoria.net
MARIE 2nd Interregional Learning Event, Athens, 30th May 2017
Athens University of Economics and Business

3. Aephoria.net, host of BlueGrowth, is a pioneer sustainable-practice
incubation program that fosters businesses with a triple-bottom-line
approach (People-Planet-Profit).
During its 4 years of operation Aephoria.net has trained 90 teams in
sustainability and incubated 32 startups.

6. ABOUT BLUE ECONOMY
71%
Of the earth surface
is WATER
~5.4
million jobs in
Europe
~€500B
Yearly gross added value
in Europe
Smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in the marine and
maritime sectors
Costal & Maritime
Tourism
Biotechnology
Renewable
energy
Mineral resources Aquaculture
Transport Offshore
oil & gas
Fisheries
Shipbuilding &
Ship Repair

7. GREEK + PIRAEUS SCENARIO
Cosco plans to
transform Piraeus port
to the biggest port of
Mediterranean
Piraeus Port provides
+2,500 jobs
Greece is the biggest
ship owning nation
(18% of the world
fleet)
A
Greece received +26M
tourists in 2015
Greece has +50%
unemployment among
youth
96% of Piraeus
economy is micro
enterprises and SMEs
P2020 territorial plan
has 15M investment in
local entrepreneurship

8. Mission / Vision
Mission Statement
BlueGrowth’s Mission is to enable, equip, and educate nascent entrepreneurs, through
collaboration with the Maritime Industry, Research community and Governmental
Institutions.
Vision Statement
BlueGrowth's vision is to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs to create
sustainable economic, social, and environmental growth in the maritime sector

9. What is BlueGrowth?
Vision -To inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs to create
sustainable economic, social, and environmental growth in the
maritime sector
Mission -To enable, equip, and educate young entrepreneurs,
through collaboration with the Maritime Industry and Academic
community.
What’s in the BlueGrowth Ecosystem?
Funding
Key facts
Successful Start-ups
o Phee Made
Innovative products made of dried sea grass
Posidonia Oceanica from the Greek shores.
o XYZ
A 3D laser scanner offering onboard browsing via
3D photography.
o Desalination Plant
Greening the desalination process and supplying
fresh water and raw materials with no
environmental cost. + MORE
30 Start-ups Launched since 2014
65 Jobs Created
Advisors
Incubation
Process
Start-up
Facilities
Innovation and
Networking
Events
Industry
Mentors
45 Community Networking Events
BlueGrowth Highlights

10. BLUEGROWTH STAGES (internal)
IDEATION
 University competitions
 Industry led challenges
 Regional events
 Partner events
 Communications Plan
COMPETITION
 Call for proposals
 Entrepreneurs online
submission of proposals
 BG internal evaluation of
proposals
 Announcement of selected
finalist proposals
 Start-up preparation for
Demo-day
 Demo-day event & BG
competition final winners
selection
 Start-up winners selected for
BG incubation
INCUBATION
 6 months incubation
 BG formal mentor assigned
to each start-up
 Start-ups academic
enablement
 Start-ups Business Plan
preparation
 Start-ups networking events
 Start-ups sustainability
certification
 Start-ups incubation
graduation
START-UPS
 Access to BG network
 Access to BG alumni
network
 Investor Marketplace
 BG on-going support
 BG follow-up plan

11. Bluegrowth Startups

12. BG III
1. OpenIchnos, is an energy autonomous tracking device designed for
placement on maritime and other assets and works anywhere on
earth.
2. Enaleia, is the first school for professional fisheries in Greece.
3. Aspida, has a comprehensive system to detect cyber attacks on
vessels.

13. 4. E-marina, is an online web platform which provide all the needed
information for the skipper and a tourist on a yacht/boat that is
needed within or in the outer space of marinas.
5. Marine Bi-Matters, making biodiversity data expanding your
marine investment
6. Loutraki Divers Team, we Dive-we Clean is an action of volunteer
divers with the main objective of cleaning the seabed from debris.
BG III

14. BLUEGROWTH MARINESCAPE

16. How can we make growth
work for all?
“Places that facilitate idea
sharing tend to become more
productive and innovative than
those that don’t. Because when
ideas are shared, the
possibilities do not add up.
They multiply.” – Paul Romer,
Chief Economist, World Bank.

17. Innovate Better, Faster, Cheaper
Open Platform for Innovative SMEs
10+ million researchers, just one click away
OPENISME is a project co-funded by the CIP Programme of the European
Union (Grant Agreement no. 621121), designed to help unlock the
innovation capacity for smaller firms that aspire to grow, through the
facilitation of new “Open Innovation” partnerships.

18. • 23.887 universities
• 8.726 scientific magazines
• 986.099 scientific announcements
• 10.000.000 + experts worldwide
• 200.000.000 academic pieces of writing
The Open Innovation for SMEs
platform includes :

19. It directly connects small and medium-sized enterprises with the most appropriate
experts for their innovation challenge.
How does it work?
A search engine detects scientific literature and patent databases and guides you
to find the right expert.
To reduce the cost and timing of producing the innovative product.
What does it do?
Why do you need it?

20. http://www.openisme.eu/
openisme@akep.eu

21. MINISTRY OF ECONOMICS, DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM
GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF INDUSTRY
PROPOSAL TO THE GOVERNMENT COUNCIL FOR ECONOMIC POLICY
"Proposal of actions for the strengthening of Industries
in the framework of the Development Plan to
reboot Greece's Economy“
11 April 2016

22. STARTUP NATIONS ATLAS OF POLICIES

23. Thank You!
Andreas Stefanidis
astefanidis@aephoria.net
Athens, 30th May 2017