The European project MarENet – Atlantic Maritime Ecosystem Network – coordinated by Campus do Mar was awarded this Thursday with one of the Atlantic Project Awards, the awards given within the framework of the 7th Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference (ASPC2020), the international symposium of reference on the new maritime strategy of the Atlantic. The UVigo project was selected as the best success story in the category of Marine Training and Ocean Literacy, one of the five that these awards consist of. Funded by the European Commission Easme-Emff and coordinated by Campus do Mar under the direction of Daniel Rey, director of the Marine Research Center and coordinator of the GEOMA group, the objective of MarENet is to strengthen cooperation between maritime companies and the academic world to improve the visibility of training and professional opportunities in the Blue Economy sector in Europe. This project is closely linked to the Blue Growth Strategy implemented in the Port of Vigo, as a pioneering entity in this transformation.
In addition, the University of Vigo had two other finalist projects in these awards. On the one hand, BlueBioLab, in the Atlantic ports and blue economy category, and, on the other, EcoAfrik, selected in the international cooperation modality in the Atlantic Area.
An effort to promote the Blue Economy and blue careers
The awards aim to highlight success stories achieved by projects in the geographical area covered by the Atlantic Strategy and related to the implementation of the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0. For Daniel Rey, this distinction represents “an enormous recognition by the European Union for the work developed during this long and difficult year by the eight partners of the consortium: Campus do Mar, Vigo Port Authority, Galician Naval Cluster Association, Aclunaga; Spanish Fishing Confederation, Cepesca; Institute for Sustainable Business Growth, ICSEM; Cork Institute of Technology; Marine Institute–Irish Maritime Development Office and University of La Rochelle in France. The jury valued the capacity of Campus do Mar and, in particular, the University of Vigo to effectively and successfully lead initiatives aimed at promoting the Blue Economy and blue careers. “The close collaboration with the Port of Vigo and ICSEM through Blue Growth as the driving force of the project, in addition to the determination of Aclunaga and Cepesca, and the experience of IMDO, CIT of Ireland and the University of La Rochelle in France, has forged a capable working group that aspires to respond to some of the challenges of the needs of the maritime port markets and the marine curricula that are visible on the near horizon”, highlights Rey. In this way, the The award places Campus do Mar and the University of Vigo “in the EU’s Atlantic maritime landscape, at a very special moment, when new lines of financing began to be launched in the context of the Blue and Green Economy agreement, in the context of the Blue Economy and Green Deal agreement”.
7th Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference
The 7th Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference, which is being held throughout the day today, Thursday, brings together high-level officials, renowned experts and prominent business people interested in the European Atlantic Strategy, with the aim of seeking ways of cooperation, exchanging information and identifying financial opportunities and potential partners for their businesses, especially in the context of the recovery efforts of the participating countries. The conference also gives visibility to the perspectives, initiatives and actions of stakeholders in the Atlantic countries of the EU (France, Ireland, Spain and Portugal) towards the search for socially inclusive models of sustainable development and job creation, which at the same time protect marine and coastal ecosystems and ensure a healthy ocean.
No marco da conferencia presentouse tamén o lanzamento Atlantic Action Plan 2.0, unha estratexia deseñada para desenvolver a Estratexia Atlántica Europea, que actualiza a primeira versión, aprobada no ano 2013 pola Comisión Europea, co fin de fomentar unha economía azul sostible e o Pacto Verde da UE.
Source: DUVI
