Ambitious European missions only succeed if they make sense locally. That conviction has shaped Stickydot’s involvement in CO-WATERS, a Horizon Europe project coordinated by NTNU and Climate KIC in support of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030.”
CO-WATERS brings together waterfront cities, regions, islands and port authorities across the EU and Associated Countries, alongside research institutions, NGOs, networks, and businesses. The project’s purpose is straightforward but demanding: to help local actors turn shared ambitions for healthier oceans and waters into concrete and lasting action.
Starting from reality
Stickydot’s role began with listening. At the end of 2025, before precisely defining the support CO-WATERS can offer, we led, , a needs assessment to understand where local actors encounter obstacles when working on water restoration and transition planning.
Through desk research, a Europe-wide survey (collecting data from 51 participants) and a participatory workshop, a consistent picture emerged. Governance is often fragmented. Time, staff and funding is limited. Administrative complexity slows progress. While awareness of the Mission is high and motivation is strong, implementation is frequently constrained by practical barriers.
One message stood out clearly:
“Stakeholder and citizen engagement is widely recognised as essential to Mission success, yet remains unevenly resourced and difficult to sustain.”
Participants asked for practical tools such as peer learning programmes and accessible guidance, rather than abstract frameworks. These findings now directly shape CO-WATERS’ approach.
A last a needs assessment workshop is taking place, in-person and on-site in Brussels during the European Ocean Days. This workshop will contribute to fine tuning the services that CO-WATERS provides by collecting input from participants.
What CO-WATERS offers
Rather than adding another layer of strategy, CO-WATERS provides structured support and various services through the development of the Coalitions.
The Coalition creates space for peer exchange through working groups and workshops, enables direct collaboration through a twinning programme, and offers targeted training on systems thinking, stakeholder engagement and sustainable finance.
It also provides practical tools, from guidance on funding and investment readiness to stakeholder engagement resources and support for local “Blue Climathons.” The aim is to help territories move from ambition to implementation.
At the centre sits the Mission Ocean & Waters (MOW) Label, not as a standalone certificate, but as part of a broader support ecosystem. As the needs assessment underlined:
“The label is being developed as part of an integrated support ecosystem, closely linked to engagement, capacity building, networking, and transition support.”
Through the Coalition, waterfront territories can collaborate on Transition Plans, strengthen their investment readiness and learn from each other’s experience.
Keeping the work grounded
The project remains anchored in practice through close collaboration with pilot territories, including Rimini (Italy), Burgas (Bulgaria), Région Sud (France), the Blue Cluster in Flanders (Belgium), the islands of Crete (Greece) and La Réunion (France).
Stickydot conducts in-depth interviews with these pilots to understand how stakeholder and community engagement works in their specific contexts. These conversations provide a safe space to reflect on challenges and opportunities. The insights feed into tailored engagement support and practical roadmaps adapted to each territory’s realities.
The pilots play a crucial role: they test ideas and ensure that services remain relevant on the ground.
Looking ahead
Since the project’s launch in June 2025, Stickydot’s contribution has focused on strengthening connections between places, challenges, opportunities, and practical action. CO-WATERS is steadily growing into a community of practitioners working towards healthier oceans and waters, together.
A key milestone is the on-site workshop during the EU Ocean Days in March 2026, creating space to refine services and deepen collaboration.
As the project evolves, one principle remains central: meaningful change begins by meeting local actors where they are, and building upwards from there.
For more information, visit www.co-waters.eu
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