WestMED organized on the 16 April a Hackathon dedicated to Maritime Innovation Technologies Platform.

 

Technological Innovations for an improved management of the sea

Technological innovations have emerged through time in relation to high-techs and digitalization (e.g. smart devices, robotics, informational computing, big data, marine “internet of things- IoT”, machine learning, artificial intelligence, machine-to-machine interaction).

Such innovations could be effectively channeled to ensure smart, interoperable and efficient management of data and information (following the FAIR principles), which may positively impact a number of relevant marine and maritime activities (e.g. maritime spatial planning, maritime observation, surveillance, modelling and monitoring, climate change impacts analysis and scenario building and sectorial decision-making purposes amongst others).

A platform to enhance cooperation on KETS and R&D

In such efforts, the WestMED Initiative organized a series of Hackathon type meetings amongst which Hackathon n4 discussed and assessed the potential for a Mediterranean-wide Maritime Innovation Technologies Platform (Med-MIT) or similar actions and/or projects that could allow for greater cooperation between clusters, research/technological centres, institutions and sectorial actors.

This Maritime Innovation Technologies Platform would aim at fuelling the urgently needed collaborations that could effectively channel Key Enabling Technologies and R&D Topics under one same umbrella towards the achievement of a sustainable Blue Economy in the Mediterranean (WestMED priority) and those related SDGs. The innovation supply chain provided by the platform would serve as an advisory service towards obtaining more risk-informed and data-based decision-making processes.

 

 

First ideas collected and next steps agreed during the digital Hackathon

With this purpose, on 16 April 2020, a group of 30 participants gathered virtually in a first webinar so as to discuss the possibility for creating this Mediterranean-wide Maritime Innovation Technologies Platform as well as to discuss other concrete project ideas and proposals.

The meeting targeted technological and high-tech organisations, clusters, businesses, agencies, data providers, computing facilities and centres, research facilities, investors etc. The final participant list is available below.

In order to move along with the potential creation of this Maritime Innovation Technologies Platform the purpose is to apply to the forthcoming COST Calls (note: link removed/ inactive page)  (Deadline 29 October 2020). This platform would gather all Maritime Innovation Technologies along the following topics:

• Digitalization of the Sea: Big Data (Real-time data collection, blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, advanced analytics, interoperability)
• Advanced manufacturing: Digital manufacturing (digital twin, additive manufacturing, 3D printing…) – lower production costs
• Advanced manufacturing: Automation (Robotics, sensorics, photonics, AI, …) (light, easy to use devices for environment and structure monitoring, as well as innovative services, e.g. remote access to protected sites, crowd science)
• Advanced and smart materials (high strength, lightweight, cost effective recyclable and reusable materials, intelligent materials with self-healing or self-cleaning properties, with sensing capabilities, with properties that change with locations – New materials reducing their environmental impacts. New concept designs within a circular economy approach
• Micro and nano electronics: MEMS, INS, labs on chip for marine chemistry and biology (they pave the way to the development of cheap, light, low power consumption devices)
• Internet of things-IOT, Internet of actions-IOA, Digital Security
• Spatial planning platforms and DSS –  to maintain the sustainability of the resources
• Fisheries Management & resources (Technological improvements of boats, energy savings and energy efficiency, discards management, fishing management, catch selectivity and process automation, fishing gear and bait optimization, traceability improvement)
• Ocean Energy – wave, tidal, otec
• Industrial Marine Biotechnology (Bio marine – sea foods, seaweeds for food, fuels and drugs – new sources of food, fuels and drugs)
• Deep Sea Mining
• Smart and autonomous shipping
• Marine Litter

The potential role of each partner was also discussed at the Hackathon.

Next Steps for submission were also discussed, such as the creation of the consortia, a more concrete definition of the working groups (topics, tasks, etc.) and a timeline to be fulfilled towards submission. Next meeting of the consortia is envisaged by end of June 2020.

More information

• For more information get in touch with Spain@westmed-initiative.eu
• Final participant list

Country	ORGANIZATION
Belgium	WestMED Initiative Coordinator & Central Team & National Hubs
United-Kingdom	Greenbackers Investment Capital
Italy	Italian National Research Council (CNR) / Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Institute of marine engineering
Italy	Maritime Technology Cluster FVG
Italy	DLTM (Liguria Cluster of Maritime Technologies)
Italy	Planetek
Italy	University Polytechnic of Turin
Libya	General Authority For Marine Wealth
Malta	University of Malta
Mauritania	STARFISH
Portugal	Qualiseg
Portugal	EcletikPigment, Lda
Spain	Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3)
Spain	Catalan R+D+I Maritime Network / Xarxa Marítima de Catalunya
Spain	Directorate General for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs-Gov. of Catalonia
Spain	Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena / CORI
Spain	Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación
Spain	Ministerio de Pesca y Agricultura
Tunisia	Tunisian Maritime Cluster

 

Source: MedPAN newsletter

 

The coronavirus outbreak is causing an unprecedented global health emergency and a global economic slowdown. Across the globe, MPA communities are sharing challenges and approaches on how to address the virus impact on MPA planning and management. We would like you to share your approaches with the MedPAN network so that they can benefit others and we have thus prepared a short questionnaire.

Go to the questionnaire.

This article was first published by ENI CBC Med Programme on 20 April 2020.

The Joint Monitoring Committee, decision-making body of the ENI CBC Med Programme, has approved 22 projects under the call for strategic projects out of the 198 proposals submitted. The projects, worth €78.8 million, have the ambition to produce long-lasting and far-reaching effects, fostering significant change in key thematic fields through synergies with the main EU, national and regional policies in the Mediterranean region.

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Start-ups development, reinforcement of Euro-Mediterranean economic clusters, technology transfer, employability of young people and women, waste management and energy efficiency: these are the topic s of the 22 projects approved under the strategic call for proposals. It is worth mentioning that the thematic distribution of the projects is related to the different budget available under each Priority.

With an investment of €69 million in EU funding and a total budget worth €78.8 million, these projects gather 197 actors from the eligible territories of the 13 countries participating in the ENI CBC Med Programme, i.e. Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Portugal, Palestine, Spain and Tunisia. The distribution of lead beneficiaries and partners by country is shown in the graphs below. 

The ambition of strategic projects

Compared to standard projects, strategic projects have increased means – the financial contribution per project ranges from €2.5 to €3.5 million and partnerships are composed of a minimum of 4 different eligible countries, including at least 2 EU Mediterranean Countries and 2 Mediterranean Partner Countries – to achieve ambitious goals.  Notably, strategic projects are expected to produce a far-reaching, long-lasting impact in key sectors of cooperation in the Mediterranean, achieve tangible and replicable results that last beyond the funding of the Programme, and contribute to the development of public policies.

The 22 approved strategic projects add up to the 41 running standard projects: the Programme has now a pool of 63 projects, involving over 450 organizations from both sides of the Mediterranean, worth over €188 million (€169 million EU contribution). The final aim of the Programme is to ensure long-lasting cooperation in the Mediterranean in order to make the region more competitive, innovative, inclusive and sustainable.

Next steps

All applicants involved in the second step of the call for proposals will receive a letter of the Managing Authority containing the results of the evaluation. Selected beneficiaries will soon start the process towards the signing of the grant contract with the Managing Authority, allowing starting the implementation of the planned activities.

• RESULTS: call for strategic projects
• Management decision n. 65 of 17.04.2020 (in Italian)

Source: UfM newsletter  

• More than 100 experts and representatives from international organisations participated in the UfM online consultation on the future of the Blue Economy in the Mediterranean region.
• Taking into account the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, they provided more than 350 recommendations in key sectors such as governance, fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, renewable energies, marine litter, blue jobs and safety and surveillance.
• Their inputs will help to prepare the upcoming meeting of the UfM ministers in charge of Blue Economy, foreseen in 2020.

The Mediterranean is in an alarming situation, warming 20% ​​faster than the world average, according to the first-ever scientific report on the impact of climate and environmental change in the Mediterranean (note: link removed/ page inactive), developed by MedECC with the UfM support. It is estimated that about 15 mega port cities are at risk of flooding, unless further adaptation is undertaken. Maritime transport is one of the most important blue economy sectors in the Mediterranean, both in terms of growth and employment. Yet, it accounts for 10% of marine pollution and 3% of air-polluting emissions. On top of that, about 8 million tons of plastic waste enters the ocean every year and one-time use plastics are making a massive come-back during this COVID-19 crisis. To face all these challenges, the UfM, with its co-presidency, conducted a virtual consultation through the participative platform, Med Blue Economy Platform, during March 2020.

The consultation was structured around priority themes identified with the UfM Member States, ranging from maritime governance, sustainable food, tourism, maritime transport to adaptation to climate change, blue skills development and employment. Around 100 entities – including research centres and universities, public administrations, private sector, international organisations and non-governmental organisations – submitted over 350 substantial feedbacks entries, as part of the preparation process of the 2^nd UfM Ministerial Meeting on Blue Economy, foreseen in 2020.

Read the conclusions >>