Venice Lagoon Plastic Free took part in the Global Sustainable Islands Summit 2026 in Gran Canaria, held from 20 to 22 April 2026, participating in an important international setting dedicated to the sustainability of island communities, dialogue between coastal and island territories, and the exchange of practical solutions for the ecological transition.
VLPF’s participation took place within the framework of the MED-Hubs project, co-funded by EMFAF, which promotes innovation in the blue economy of the Western Mediterranean through two interconnected hubs: one in Spain, focused on marine renewable energy, and one in Italy, dedicated to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
Within the Blue-Tech Innovation Showcase, the programme included the session “MED-Hubs: Driving Blue Innovation in the Mediterranean” and a selection of startups from different countries: BOUT (Finland), Floating Power Plant (Denmark), Recycllux (Malta), SOS Group (USA), Hippotainer (Netherlands), Vessel X (Turkey), Green Independence (Italy), Helen of the Sea (USA), Ocean Oasis (Norway), CORAlliance (Switzerland), SolarSub (United Kingdom), and ATAREC (Morocco). VLPF was honoured to serve on the jury panel for the Showcase, contributing to the evaluation of these innovative blue economy solutions alongside fellow experts and partners. The winner of the Blue-Tech Innovation Showcase was SOS Group (USA), recognised for its work addressing marine biomass pollution in connection with sustainable fisheries.
Together with the other MED-Hubs partners, VLPF contributed to supporting and promoting the startups involved in the project during the Summit, with MALTAccelerate playing a driving role, both as a MED-Hubs partner and as a co-sponsor of GSIS 2026. This support translated into visibility for innovative entrepreneurial ventures active in strategic sectors for the future of the blue economy.
Among the startups most closely aligned with VLPF’s areas of work were Recycllux, focused on marine plastic pollution and sustainable fisheries; Helen of the Sea, linked to sustainable marine tourism and the blue circular economy; Vessel X, dedicated to marine pollution monitoring and remediation; and SOS Group, active in addressing marine biomass pollution in connection with sustainable fisheries.
For VLPF, participating in the Summit represented a valuable opportunity to strengthen international exchange on innovation in the blue economy, protection of marine ecosystems, prevention and mitigation of marine pollution, and scalable solutions for the sustainable development of island and coastal communities. As Venetians, our participation was especially meaningful, allowing us to connect with other island communities around the world and to share knowledge, perspectives, and common goals in defence of our cultural and natural heritage.