ABSTRACT
The Baltic Sea is an almost completely enclosed sea basin. Located in the North-Eastern part of Europe, and it covers a surface area of 377,000 km2. The basin includes, amongst others, the Gulf of Bothnia, Gulf of Finland, Gulf of Riga, and the Kattegat. The European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) is the first macro-regional strategy in Europe. EUSBSR is organised according to three overall objectives: saving the sea, connecting the region and increasing prosperity. There are a number of overlapping and complimentary policies and directives that are important to consider and ensure cross coordination. Clusters in the UK are located in multiple sea basins: the Atlantic and the North Sea. The cluster relevant to the North Sea is the North east Scotland cluster. As administrative and political division of responsibilities especially for the territorial waters differ per country, international cooperation and aligned spatial strategies are key to facilitate sustainable Blue Growth.
