Description (EN): In pursuit of new innovative and sustainable approaches towards the processing, recycling and repurposing of marine plastic waste, the Circular Ocean project will develop, share and test new solutions and opportunities among northern European and Arctic regions.Circular Ocean will benefit remote, coastal regions by developing green economies using waste resources, driving eco-innovation, generating efficient and environmentally responsible businesses, and diminishing levels of marine litter.The relentless increase of marine litter is particularly pertinent to countries of the NPA region, which currently have limited business opportunities and associated supply chains. In addition to and parallel with the focus on reducing fishing nets as marine waste, the project will look for possible synergies for eliminating, collecting, reprocessing and creating new value out of discarded fishing nets and other marine waste in the countries of the Northern Periphery and Arctic Region. The Circular Ocean project will promote social enterprises that can benefit from the circular economy, and assist coastal and rural communities in the development of new sources of livelihood, while reducing marine waste and enhancing the quality of life in the region, and developing best practice which can be applied to the rest of Europe.Circular Ocean seeks to empower communities and entrepreneurs in remote and rural areas to develop novel and robust business opportunities that are environmentally sustainable and enhance income generation and retention within local regions. Expected Results (EN): Conditions for start-ups in remote, sparsely populated areas Expected Outputs (EN): A major output of the project is the development of Green economy business suite – a guide for communities, businesses and entrepreneurs within the Northern Periphery and Arctic region. Using a transnational approach involving local communities, the project will develop the suite, providing an evaluation framework to assist stakeholders in northern communities to develop new innovative products and business opportunities based on recycling or reuse of fishnets. The suite will feature a set of instruments to empower communities in recycling and reusing fishing nets, which will include:•Research feasibility and cost/ benefit analysis of fishnet collection for export and recycling•Detailed exploration of case studies of existing fishnet recycling projects, their challenges and opportunities (backpacks, skateboards, plastic construction blocks, reuse in construction, basket weaving) from all partner regions and beyond.•SME and enterprise potential for recycling in the Northern Periphery and Arctic areas•Guide to supportive policy and regional frameworks regarding innovation within local regional and national levels.•Manual to fishnet reuse options, their challenges and opportunities, including innovative eco-design companies.The project will also develop an industrial symbiosis for marine plastic waste, which will be achieved with:•Best practice for fishnet resource management•Green business model development•Policy and institutional barrier reports•Dissemination events and workshops•Pilot and demonstrate green enterprise actions•A transnational network for exchange of ideas•Open source eco-innovation hub for recycling and repurposing marine litter•Fishing net reuse and recycling brochure for local communities•Marine litter environmental impact and life cycle handbook