EmpowerUs (2022-2025)

Socio-economic empowerment of coastal communities as users of the sea to ensure sustainable coastal development

Funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe program, EmpowerUs was a €6.2 million, three-year project (2022-2025) aiming to empower coastal communities in transitioning towards more resilient, inclusive and sustainable coastal development. It was coordinated by the Nordland Research Institute, Norway, brought together 16 partners in 9 countries, and focused on close collaborative work with six coastal communities through Transition Coastal Labs (TCLs). Dr. Antonova was a Co-PI and the Academic Lead for the TCL in Burgas, Bulgaria, working in close collaboration with the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation.

RELATED PUBLICATIONS & OUTPUTS

2025

Antonova, A.S., W. Flannery, S. Gómez, M. Gustavsson, M. Hadjimichael, B. Murtagh, K. Ounanian, S. Sølnor, V.M.D. Steiro & K. Svels. “Centering coastal communities’ diverse practices in the blue economy.” Geoforum 166, 104410, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2025.104410

Sørensen, J., K. Ounanian, R. Jackobsen, J. Ekstedt, S.M. Sølnor, K. Rønnigen, S. Gómez, M. Hadjimichael, W. Flannery, K. Svels, A.Antonova, V. M.D. Steiro, & M. Gustavsson. “Stepping stones as metaphor for building partnerships and co-producing knowledge in coastal transitions.” Local Development & Society, OnlineFirst: 1-23, https://doi.org/10.1080/26883597.2025.2528014

Spiering, S., J. Lebel, M. Bjørkan, C. Bratt, A.M. Bjørna, V.M.D. Steiro, A. Antonova, G. Marinova, R. Tsenova, M. Hadjimichael, K. Svels, V. Eriksson, B. Murtagh, W. Flannery, A. Miller, S. Gómez, B. Patraca, M. Pulgar. "Report on successes & failures of empowerment based on Q-method and perceptions of Ocean Literacy across the host countries (EmpowerUs research project - Deliverable 3.2)". https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17182577

Antonova, A.S., M. Bjørkan & C. Bratt. "From proposal to implementation: Reflecting on methodological path dependencies in large projects." Chapter 3 in Gustavsson, M., S. Sølnor & Rønningen, K. Handbook of inclusive methodologies: How methods and methodologies contribute to inclusive and equitable coastal transitions. Available here.

2024

Antonova, A.S. “Regimes of value: Economic transformations, ecological livelihoods, and salt cooperatives on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.” Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space 57(2-3): https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X241295521

Antonova, A.S. “Squinting like a state: Narratives of corruption, informal practices, and legacies of societal distrust on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.” Anthropology: Journal for Socio-Cultural Anthropology 11(2): 26-46, https://anthropology-journal.org/wp/author/anna-antonova

2023

Flannery, W., B. Murtagh, A. Miller, A.S. Antonova, M. Hadjimichael, K. Svels, P. Salmi, V. Erikkson, V.M.D. Steiro, C.M. Ekeland, S. Gómez, B. Patraca & M. Pulgar. “Report on the scaling and replication of pilots.” Public report from EmpowerUs project. Available here.

Flannery, W., B. Murtagh, A. Miller, A.S. Antonova, M. Hadjimichael, K. Svels, P. Salmi, V. Erikkson, V.M.D. Steiro, C.M. Ekeland, S. Gómez, B. Patraca & M. Pulgar. “Report on community governance audit.” Public report from EmpowerUs project. Available here.

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