{"id":1899,"date":"2026-11-11T14:49:01","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T12:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/?page_id=1899"},"modified":"2026-11-12T09:14:31","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T07:14:31","slug":"engage-islands","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/projects\/engage-islands\/","title":{"rendered":"ENGAGE\u00a0Islands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>ENGAGE Islands<\/strong> is an international cooperation project that helps Baltic Sea islands connect the energy and green transitions with local development and people\u2019s everyday needs. It focuses on how municipalities, businesses, educational institutions and communities can work together to improve public services and develop solutions suited to local conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Investment in renewable energy and innovation is growing across the Baltic Sea islands, but the benefits do not always reach local residents and businesses in a tangible way. At the same time, the islands face population decline, young people moving away, seasonal economies and difficulties in delivering public services. ENGAGE Islands was established to strengthen cooperation between local stakeholders and translate broader development priorities into practical solutions that benefit island communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The project runs from <strong>1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028<\/strong>. It is funded by the <strong>European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The lead partner is the <strong>Institute for Climate Protection, Energy and Mobility (IKEM)<\/strong> in Germany. In Estonia, the project is led by the <strong>Estonian Islands Energy Agency (EISEA)<\/strong>. The other partners are <strong>Science Park Gotland<\/strong> in Sweden, <strong>\u00c5land University of Applied Sciences<\/strong> in \u00c5land, and the <strong>Regional Municipality of Bornholm<\/strong> in Denmark. Activities in Estonia take place on Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Muhu, Vormsi, Kihnu and Ruhnu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/engage-islands-hall-raam.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1900\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.4992620704195656;width:472px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/engage-islands-hall-raam.webp 1000w, https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/engage-islands-hall-raam-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/engage-islands-hall-raam-768x512.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"a-shared-framework-for-cooperation-across-the-estonian-islands\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">A shared framework for cooperation across the Estonian islands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The project will establish a shared approach to cooperation and community engagement that can be used to address a range of local challenges. This practical way of working will bring together the people needed to define problems, assess possible solutions and agree on next steps and responsibilities. All six islands will use the same overall approach and assessment principles, while addressing topics based on their specific needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"local-activities\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Local activities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Saaremaa<\/strong> will explore the connections between energy, infrastructure, business, employment and the living environment. A seminar will bring together representatives of the municipality, businesses, experts, educational institutions, communities and young people to discuss pressing energy issues. The aim is to establish a shared starting point for planning future energy, infrastructure and local development solutions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hiiumaa<\/strong> will develop a cycling mobility model suited to island conditions. The focus will be on everyday and year-round cycling, e-bikes and connections between cycling and public transport.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Muhu<\/strong> will explore opportunities for using e-bikes and conventional bicycles, alongside community-based bicycle rental and maintenance services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Kihnu<\/strong> will examine the electrification of local transport, vehicle operating costs and charging infrastructure needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vormsi<\/strong> will focus on groundwater, wells, water quality and the reliability of water supplies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ruhnu<\/strong> will map the essential services and connections needed for year-round island life, including electricity, ferry and air services, and access to food and everyday necessities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"the-project-s-three-phases\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The project\u2019s three phases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"seed-engagement-and-demonstration-activities\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">SEED \u2014 engagement and demonstration activities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SEED phase will identify local needs, organise co-creation workshops and test solutions through practical pilot activities. Municipalities, businesses, educational institutions, young people and communities will be involved. Results will be assessed using a common framework covering participation, relevance to local needs and the potential to replicate solutions elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"bloom-turning-experience-into-lasting-cooperation\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">BLOOM \u2014 turning experience into lasting cooperation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The BLOOM phase will analyse the lessons from SEED activities and use them to develop lasting cooperation and governance models. The aim is to establish how municipalities, businesses, schools and communities can jointly plan local services and development initiatives more effectively. The models will define participants\u2019 roles, required resources, funding, timelines and implementation conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"harvest-bringing-together-and-sharing-results\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">HARVEST \u2014 bringing together and sharing results<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The HARVEST phase will bring together the results of SEED and BLOOM in a multilingual practical toolkit. It will include activity descriptions, cooperation models, engagement guidance, assessment tools, checklists and recommendations for adapting solutions to other settings. The materials will be made available to other islands and rural areas across the Baltic Sea region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ENGAGE Islands will deliver a practical way of working that helps islands translate shared needs into concrete activities, clear responsibilities and decisions that support local development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Project manager at EISEA:<\/strong> Ingrid Piirsalu<br><strong>Email:<\/strong> <a href=\"mailto:ingrid@eisea.org\">ingrid@eisea.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/ingrid-piirsalu.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1853\" style=\"width:206px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/ingrid-piirsalu.webp 600w, https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/ingrid-piirsalu-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/ingrid-piirsalu-300x300.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ENGAGE Islands is an international cooperation project that helps Baltic Sea islands connect the energy and green transitions with local development and people\u2019s everyday needs. It focuses on how municipalities, businesses, educational institutions and communities can work together to improve public services and develop solutions suited to local conditions. Investment in renewable energy and innovation [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1900,"parent":1863,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1899","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1899"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1901,"href":"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1899\/revisions\/1901"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1863"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eisea.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}