The transfer project focused on blue biotechnology, coordinated by the center’s professor José Luis Soengas, was recognized as one of the most innovative and sustainable initiatives in the blue economy of the European Atlantic
The MARINNONET project, coordinated by José Luis Soengas from the Marine Research Centre (CIM) at the University of Vigo, received one of the 2025 Atlantic Awards, honors granted by the European Commission within the framework of the Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference (ASPC 2025) to recognize the most outstanding initiatives in the implementation of the Atlantic Maritime Strategy and the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0.
The distinction was announced during the conference held in Galway (Ireland) under the theme “Tides of Cooperation: The Atlantic Strategy as a Catalyst for the European Ocean Pact,” which brought together representatives from European institutions, national and regional administrations, research centers, private entities, and companies from the maritime sector across the entire Atlantic area.
The Atlantic Project Award received by MARINNONET recognizes its high impact on sustainability, its feasibility and potential for replication in other European regions, and its innovative model of international cooperation among science, industry, administrations, and society—the so-called quadruple helix model. The jury particularly highlighted the project’s participatory approach, based on open innovation workshops and transnational pilot projects that connect research with practical application and the market.
As José Luis Soengas emphasized, “We are very pleased with the award, as it recognizes the effort to connect research, industry, and society across all regions of the Atlantic space and to promote the exchange of knowledge for its subsequent application in the field of blue biotechnology.”
The director of the CIM, Daniel Rey, stated in this regard that “for the center, receiving the Atlantic Award is an international recognition of the center’s commitment to innovation, knowledge transfer, and excellence in the field of marine biotechnology. This award consolidates the CIM’s leadership in promoting sustainable, high-impact projects in the blue economy, strengthens its European profile, and serves as an incentive to continue driving innovations that contribute to ocean conservation and the development of a more innovative and responsible maritime sector.”
An Atlantic alliance to promote marine biotechnology
Coordinated by CIM researcher José Luis Soengas, MARINNONET brings together 10 partners from eight Atlantic regions of Spain, Portugal, France, and Ireland. Specifically, alongside the CIM, the project includes academic and research entities such as the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the University of the Basque Country, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography of the CSIC, the University of Galway (Ireland), the University of Minho (Portugal), Sorbonne Université (France), and Munster Technological University (Ireland), as well as the innovation and transfer clusters Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique (France) and BlueBio Alliance (Portugal).
In addition to the 10 partners, collaborators include the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) in Portugal; representatives from public administration such as the Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN), Hazi Fundazioa, the Economic Promotion Society of Gran Canaria, and the Irish Bioeconomy Foundation (Ireland). Representing society are the coastal action group GALP Ría de Vigo and the Basque Country’s local fisheries action group Itsas Garpen Elkarta Flag. In the business sector, participants include the National Association of Fish and Seafood Canning Manufacturers (Anfaco) and the National Association for Marine Bioresources and Blue Biotechnology (Portugal).
The project promotes three major marine biotechnology platforms focused on innovation for sustainable and resilient aquaculture, the use of omics and observation technologies to preserve marine biodiversity, and the development of marine products with industrial applications.
Through this network, MARINNONET is driving nine pilot projects that already provide concrete solutions in sustainability, circular economy, and the valorization of marine resources, demonstrating the potential of European cooperation in the transition toward a green and innovative blue economy.
The CIM holds the CIGUS certification from the Regional Government of Galicia, which attests to the quality and impact of its research, and its activities are co-financed by the European Union through the 2021–2027 FEDER Program.
Source: DUVI
