In the paper, an overview of the European strategy in Research and Innovation is presented, with focus on the Horizon Europe program. The main novelty of this program is given by the new concept of Mission. Among the 5 proposed Missions, I will describe the Starfish one, strictly related to the concept of Sustainable and Equitable Ocean Economy. It is dedicated to the regeneration of seas, ocean, coastal and inland waters by proposing five overarching objectives for 2030 and a list of corresponding targets. In the proposal of concrete actions, great attention is dedicated to the Mediterranean Sea. The role of citizens is also becoming more and more strategic in the European
vision, to guarantee a sustainable and healthy life to the hydrosphere system. Some examples of citizens engagement activities, promoted in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Italian Region, are finally presented.
