Blue economy potential for shaping a marine Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: the case of the Adriatic Sea

This study aims at investigating the potential of the Blue Economy (BE) for facing the depletion of marine resources, and the transition towards a more sustainable development. The analysis was conducted according to an ecosystem perspective to grasp the intertwined dynamics that bond together ecological, social, and economic phenomena. An explorative analysis, based on the case study method, was conducted to understand if and how BE strategies can support the development and the long-term viability of a marine entrepreneurial ecosystem (MEE) in the Adriatic Sea. The explorative analysis led to recognizing the positive influence that, under specific conditions, BE strategies can have on a marine entrepreneurial ecosystem. The role, the influence, and the relationships between ecosystem actors were described in the potential MEE of The Adriatic Sea. The analysis offered interesting insight to policymakers and managers to reorganize marine and maritime activities following the principles of sustainable development to gain an equitable, fair, and long-lasting economic, environmental, and social growth of the Adriatic entrepreneurship ecosystem. This study is one of the few or probably even the first one to investigate BE potential for the transition towards sustainability according to an ecosystem perspective. It also offers new guidelines for the sustainability-oriented development of the Adriatic Sea MEE.