Articles

Medban 2022 signature of Memorandum of Understanding with representatives seated at conference table

MEDBAN: six mediterranean maritime clusters join forces under the guidance of the WestMED Assistance Mechanism

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Today (July 6, 2022) the COSME MEDBAN (MEDiterranean Blue Acceleration Network) was launched  with the signature of  the Memorandum of Understanding  between its partners in the headquarters of the Fedarzione Del Mare in Rome.

MEDBAN, is a consortium that consists of six clusters: Fórum Oceano (leader), Federazione del Mare, Cluster BIG – Blue Italian Growth, CMIB Cluster Marítimo Illes Balears, Strategis – Maritime ICT Cluster and  Pôle Mer Méditerranée – that have joined forces to build an innovation acceleration ecosystem based on Med Ports as ESG (Environmental, Social, Governmental) blue economy hubs.

The initial idea was born in September 2021 at Seafuture in La Spezia , and evolved through the WestMED created Maritime Clusters Alliance Technical Group into a successful submission  for COSME funding. Now….ready to start in September 2022.

For more information contact Ruben Eiras (WestMED National Hub/ Forum Oceano): portugal@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu

conference room filled with people at the WestMED hackathon 22 event in Malta

WestMED Hackathon ’22 – Maritime community gathers in Malta to generate concrete ideas for boosting the blue economy

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On June 30 2022, more than 60 representatives from the WestMED Maritime community gathered in Salina Bay on Malta. It was an occasion to develop and discuss project ideas and learn the outcomes of the ‘WestMED in my country’ events.

Each WestMED National Hub presented the key takeaways from their ‘in-my-country’ event that had been organised in the previous eight weeks. The events covered a wide range of maritime topics; ranging from  diversification for fishers in Spain, cluster formation in Mauritania and Blue Economy opportunities for accelerators in Italy to bridging the Blue Skills gap in Malta.

The hackathons themselves consisted of targeted theme-based discussions focused on some of the  main issues that are currently at the top of the WestMED Initiative agenda: aquaculture, tourism, transport and ports, maritime clusters, blue skills and Maritime Spatial planning.

Each hackathon resulted in a number of concrete ideas with suggestions on how to take these ideas forward – also in light of current and upcoming funding opportunities

These ideas will be carefully studied for feasibility and followed-up by the respective National Hubs

You can already download the slides (pdf) used, containing both the main takeaways from the in-my-country events  as well as the main hackathon ideas.

You can also watch the recordings on the hackathon 22 page

For further information, please contact communications@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu, or your nearest National Hub

panel seated at table at national event italy 2022 in naples

A new Blue Economy support ecosystem proposed during Italy’s WestMED National Event in Naples

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Within the beautiful setting of the new museum Darwin Dohrn in Naples, on May 26th and 27th 2022, the WestMED National Coordinators and the National Hubs organized the Italian ‘WestMED in my country’ event: “Blue Accelerators & Incubators: the main challenge for Blue Growth in Italy”.

With the practical support of Cluster Tecnologico Nazionale Blue Italian Growth and Federazione del Mare, the endorsement of the Department of Cohesion within the Presidency of Council of Ministers and of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this was also recognized as an official EMD in my country 2022 event.

It was opened with speeches from the Mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi (former Dean of the University Federico II) and the Regional Counsellor for Research, Innovation and Start-ups of the Campania Region, Valeria Fascione.

Based on a structural gap in the Italian Blue Economy ecosystem, the idea proposed was implementing a national supply chain of support for innovation, new entrepreneurship and employability, based on an alliance that consists of Maritime Clusters, Accelerators & Incubators and Investors & Fund Managers (public & private).

Such a supply chain could facilitate and expedite the search for partners & financial resources by the promoters of a Blue Economy initiative, while national and regional maritime clusters could help mitigate the risks taken by investors and accelerators/ incubators. They could do so by helping to identify the most deserving and really innovative initiatives.

This two-day event gave the opportunity for Italian stakeholders to:

  • become further acquainted with the WestMED Initiative activities in Italy and in the sub-basin over the last four years;
  • become aware of the strategic agreement among the two national maritime clusters (proposed and supported by the WestMED National Coordinators and Italian National Hub) and the excellent results already achieved;
  • network and meet, (Italian and foreign) representatives in-person from over 50 clusters, accelerators and incubators, venture capital companies, start-ups, research institutes, EU platforms, EU funds managing authorities.

More than 70 experts and professionals from the whole country joined in-person with an average of 40 participants who followed  the event online.

To complement the programme,  the visitors were treated to a guided tour of the museum by Prof Ferdinando Boero, who described the 150 years history of Stazione Anton Dohrn where he highlighted the significant contribution of the two scientists Dohrn and Darwin to marine zoology and their studies preserved in this museum, as well as drawing attention to the Gulf of Naples, as being the richest marine biodiversity site

All participants who joined in-person, received a free conference kit.

As a follow-up, the WestMED National Coordinators and Italian National  Hub are already undertaking the steps subsequent to the opportunities that emerged during this event.

For further info, contact Leonardo Mazari (National Hub Italy) : italy@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu

 

Tunisia national event 2022 - partner contract signing

Lancement de l’Economie Bleue en Tunisie avec la signature d’un accord de partenariat entre le Cluster Maritime Tunisien et l’Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer

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Le Hub National Tunisie du projet WestMED a organisé, le 2 juin 2022 à Tunis, l’évènement national sur « L’économie bleue en Tunisie ». Plus de 80 personnes ont assisté à cet événement dont Mme Asma shiri Labidi, la ministre chargée du Secrétariat Général de la Mer, des représentants de l’administration, des entreprises aussi bien publiques que privées, des associations et des universitaires et chercheurs.

A l’ouverture des travaux, et après la présentation du projet WestMed par le Hub National Tunisie, la ministre a affirmé une volonté politique nationale pour développer l’économie bleue en Tunisie et que son département a soumis au gouvernement un document retraçant la stratégie à entreprendre et un plan d’actions pour les trois prochaines années 2023-2025.

Elle a fait un aperçu détaillé des différentes activités de l’économie bleue en mettant l’accent sur les objectifs et les priorités pour chaque secteur. La ministre a insisté sur la coordination entre les différents départements au niveau national mais aussi sur la coopération à l’échelle internationale et notamment méditerranéenne.  Prenant la parole le Coordinateur National du projet a souligné l’importance du projet Westmed et de son approche de réunir les différents acteurs de l’économie bleue autour de différents thèmes afin de débattre des différentes difficultés et d’augmenter la coordination entre eux. Il a insisté sur l’importance de la coopération internationale notamment avec l’Union Européenne dans ce domaine.

Le Hub National a rappelé que la première partie de l’événement est consacrée au rôle des groupes techniques Westmed dans la création d’une dynamique de réflexion des secteurs prometteurs. Il a fait une présentation sur la création de ces groupes, leurs objectifs et priorités et la nécessité de renforcer la coopération entre les deux rives de la méditerranée dans ces domaines. Les représentants tunisiens dans ces groupes ont fait des communications détaillées sur le transport propre, l’aquaculture durable, les clusters et le tourisme alternatif. Le débat était riche et tournait autour du choix des différentes énergies de substitution au fioul lourd dans le transport propre et des coûts d’adaptation de la flotte et des infrastructures.

La nécessité de garantir la croissance équilibrée d’une aquaculture durable étant donné l’inexistence d’un MSP et de l’impact des déchets des poissons sur l’environnement. Les opérateurs du tourisme et notamment de la plaisance ont insisté sur la baisse de l’activité suite au Covid19 et le retard dans la reprise de cette activité et ont insisté sur la nécessité de l’entretien de l’infrastructure des ports de plaisance.

La deuxième partie de l’événement était consacrée à l’économie bleue solidaire, à la recherche et innovation en biotechnologie bleue comme source d’opportunité pour les entreprises, aux défis et perspectives de l’industrialisation de la pêche et de l’aquaculture et aux méthodes et outils pour un aménagement durable du littoral. Le débat était animé et concernait notamment la nécessité des réformes institutionnelles pour faciliter la synergie entre la recherche scientifique et le secteur industriel et résoudre le problème de cloisonnement entre eux et d’ouvrir ces instituts de recherches sur leur environnement et sur les préoccupations des opérateurs et la résolution de leurs problèmes.

Les participants ont insisté sur l’inexistence d’un MSP et d’une GIZC est de nature à créer des conflits entre les opérateurs et à encourager le développement spontané des différentes activités ce qui engendrerait une dégradation du littoral.

L’événement national sur l’économie bleue était l’occasion de la signature d’un accord de partenariat entre le Cluster Maritime Tunisien et l’Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer.

 

Salem Miladi presenting at the Westmed in my country event Tunisia022 westmed in-my-country event 22.conference room

people meeting at event bridging the gap in Malta 2022

Bridging the Maritime Skills Gap. Succesful WestMED event helps identify possible solutions in Malta

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Today the WestMED Initiative (Malta) in collaboration with the Malta Maritime Forum organised an event entitled “Blue Skills: Bridging the Skills Gap through Education and Ocean Literacy”.

The event was successful in bringing together the views of the captains of industry and academia who identified skills shortages and possible solutions to the skills gap shortages that are afflicting the industry.

The event sought to strengthen cooperation between all stakeholders in order to address labour market frictions that hamper employers from their much-needed talent and skills that sustain their business models.

Moreover the event also focused on the important role of ocean literacy in order to bridge the gap highlighting the importance of engaging youths, students as well as NGOs within the industry.

The work conducted by the Union for the Mediterranean on blue skills was also presented in the event and colleagues from the Atlantic Assistance Mechanism presented the work conducted on blue skills and ocean literacy in the Atlantic.

The event was purposely timed to coincide with Maritime Day and enjoyed official recognition as a ‘European Maritime Day (EMD) In My Country’.

Besides key industry and academia representatives, other participants in the event included the Hon Aaron Farrugia, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects; the Hon Ivan Castillo, Shadow Minister for the Maritime Sector; Perit Karmenu Vella, former European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries; and Mr Joseph Bugeja, Chairperson and CEO of Transport Malta.

More information: contact Stephanie Vella or Annabel Vella at our WestMED National Hub Malta

euromed academy poster

E-Learning program launched: “Fostering and managing Blue growth Potential in the Mediterranean

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Source: Interreg Mediterranean-Blue Growth

In the context of the INTERREG EURO-MED Academy, the Blue Growth Community is launching the next 16th of May 2022, the online programme “Fostering and Managing Blue Growth Potential in the Mediterranean ».

This e-learning programme is addressed to the next Generation of Mediterranean Leaders on Inclusive and Sustainable Development both from the Northern and Southern shores. This entails a very wide audience having a direct relation to the Blue Growth sector, from young people involved in the blue economy governance to young entrepreneurs and practitioners working in business support organizations (BSOs), NGOs, research institutions, etc.

Therefore, all stakeholders coming from the public/private sectors and civil society interested on Blue Growth will have the opportunity to benefit of this free learning programme that offers a global coverage of all thematic areas of Blue Economy.

Using different training tools such as 7,5h of pre-recorded lectures, available side material for studying (documents, videos, links, etc.), assessment tools (short tests and an exercise), one live webinar and a final event (with key-note speeches and selected presentations of the participants and students), this programme will offer:

  • Modules: 10 short modules structures in the following thematic:
    1. Potential of Blue Economy in the Mediterranean
    2. Marine Renewable Energy (1st part)
    3. Marine Renewable Energy (2nd part)
    4. Sustainable Tourism
    5. Greening the Ports
    6. Fisheries & Aquaculture
    7. Unlocking the potential of Blue Bioeconomy through biotechnologies
    8. Maritime Security & Maritime Surveillance
    9. Maritime Spatial Planning
    10. How to reconcile Blue Economy and Marine Environmental protection

 

  • Course duration: 5 weeks (recommended)

 

Through a dedicated section under each Module, the participants will have the opportunity to overview innovative results and tools produced by the projects of the Blue Growth Community and beyond.

The Blue Growth Community e-learning program “Fostering and Managing Blue Growth Potential in the Mediterranean” will take place from the 16th of May to the 11th of July 2022.

Find more information here.

ENROL NOW!

underwater ray of light

Survey for Nautical Companies to Understand Potential of Innovative Marine Robotics

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Blue Roses is an EU funded project, developed by a consortium of research institutions and companies (Navigo and Aninver – IMC Worldwide among them), to use state-of-the-art marine robotics to develop innovative and sustainable underwater services for marinas and leisure boats.

The aim of the project is to facilitate access to the underwater environment through the use of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and associated ICT. This ‘new dimension’ will help marinas attract and grow interest from diversified users. The robots can be used in a variety of functions, including yacht hull monitoring, remote access to underwater sites, monitoring of sea beds and many other applications.
The three scenarios considered by the project, in which we seek to identify and analyze innovative services and business models, are:
1. Remote access to naturalistic and/or cultural underwater sites (Pilot 1)
2. Robotic-based waters and seabed monitoring inside marinas (Pilot 2)
3. Robotic-based monitoring of yacht hulls for security and support to refit and dismantling

This survey is part of the research to understand the potential of innovative marine robotics services and business models. Your collaboration is highly appreciated. Your personal data will only be used for statistical purposes and none of the consortium members will store or further use this information.

Take me to the survey here

westmed cluster alliance logo

The WestMED Maritime Cluster Alliance helps pave the way for establishing a Mauritanian Maritime Cluster

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In the framework of the activities of the WestMED Maritime Clusters Alliance, and thanks to the organization of the WestMED Mauritanian National Coordinator and National Hub, the first event aimed at the establishment of a Maritime Cluster in Mauritania, has shown the importance of such a process in the growth and consolidation of local ecosystems for the Blue Economy and beyond.

Taking inspiration from the good practices from Tunisia, with its CMT (Cluster Maritime Tunisien), the participation of the Secretary General of the Union of Arab Maghreb and the President of the Central African Francophone Maritime Cluster (together with the main European networks of maritime clusters – ENMC, ECA), well represents the significance of a joint undertaking of the same challenge at regional level.

Countries where this process is at its early stage, find a strong support in this common effort and the requests expressed by the Mauritanian actors, during the networking session, have clearly underlined the need for support: institutional anchoring, sustainable model for clusters establishment and development, financial resources to encourage research &i nnovation, progressive inclusion of local ecosystems in European supply chains (towards Euro-Mediterranean ones).

The WestMED Maritime Clusters Alliance, through its inclusive activities, is going to ensure and facilitate suitable answers to this capacity building demand, within South-South and also North-South through actions/partnerships/projects.

The next event related to this topic, during event during the SEAFUTURE 2021, will mark another step of this ongoing process, in the same direction.

More information
Contact the National Hub Italy for more information

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Pesceinrete: Le imprese ittiche della Mauritania aderiscono alla fiera di Assoittica

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Source: Pesceinrete/ Domenico Letizia
Original article: https://www.pesceinrete.com/le-imprese-ittiche-della-mauritania-aderiscono-alla-fiera-di-assoittica/

 

Nel Paese le opportunità legate alla pesca sono tantissime e le imprese locali vogliono inseguire innovazione e sostenibilità.

Anche la Mauritania aderisce alla fiera ittica virtuale mondiale di Assoittica Italia, la fiera Digital Seafood Trade Show. In Mauritania, la piccola pesca è minacciata da un sistema invasivo e legato alle vecchie logiche industriali: le flotte industriali, spesso straniere, razziano il mare ricco e pescoso a discapito delle comunità locali dove il pesce viene trasformato e non solo è fonte fondamentale di sostentamento, ma anche di reddito.

Tuttavia, nel Paese le opportunità legate alla pesca sono tantissime e le imprese locali vogliono inseguire l’innovazione e la sostenibilità per riscrivere le logiche dell’industria ittica nazionale. Il settore ittico è uno dei settori più importanti per l’economia del Paese. Le particolari condizioni climatiche permettono alla Mauritania di essere considerata uno dei paesi con aree costiere maggiormente produttive. Il maggior centro economico del Paese, Nouadhibou, è sede di pesca industriale e artigianale, ed è considerato un centro strategico per la sua posizione geografica ma anche perché è il centro decisionale del paese.  Il fenomeno rende Nouadhibou una delle regioni più ricche al mondo in termini di risorse ittiche. La Mauritania è considerata una delle poche aree al mondo in cui il settore ittico presenta ancora importanti margini di crescita.

Ben diciassette sono le imprese ittiche della Mauritania, raggruppate attorno alla Fédération de pêche des mareyeurs exportateurs, distributeurs et collecteurs (FPMEDC), che parteciperanno ai lavori del Digital Seafood Trade Show. La FPMEDC, presieduta da Moustapha Sidi Mohamed, è un sindacato professionale mauritano che riunisce la maggior parte degli operatori del settore della pesca, gestito da un team di professionisti e imprenditori. Aumentare il reddito dei pescatori  locali e contribuire a facilitare un positiva integrazione economica dei protagonisti ittici del Paese per una buona gestione dello sfruttamento delle zone costiere è tra gli obiettivi della storica organizzazione che aderisce alla Fiera ittica virtuale di Assoittica Italia. Le aziende della Mauritania che aderiscono alla fiera virtuale sono SMMCS Sarl, Valencia Fri60, Mauritania Peche, Interpesca Frigo, Est Ndm, Cosm Frigo, Mhamed Taleb, Nord Fish, Ico Peche, Union Trarza, Ecab, Muritanibest, Ets Khalifa, Tl-Peche, El Mansour Peche e Fleur De Tatlantic. Il Governo della Mauritania nel 2013 ha inaugurato una Free Zone nella regione. L’obiettivo strategico del progetto è quello di attrarre gli investimenti esteri e contribuire al consolidamento di partnership per colmare il gap infrastrutturale e favorire lo sviluppo sostenibile della pesca.

screenshot article on algerian-italian fisheries partnership

Algerian-Italian fisheries partnership | نحو شراكة جزائرية ايطالية في مجال الصيد البحري

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Publié le 

نحو شراكة جزائرية ايطالية في مجال الصيد البحري

إستقبل السيد سيد أحمد فروخي، وزير الصيد البحري و المنتجات الصيدية، يوم الاثنين 08 مارس 2021 ، سعادة سفير ايطاليا بالجزائر السيد جيوفاني بوقلياز، بمقر الوزارة

وسمح اللقاء باستعراض سبل تطوير التعاون و الشراكة ما بين البلدين في ثلاثة مجالات، تخص كل من صيانة و بناء سفن الصيد البحري، صناعة تربية المائيات و تسمين التونة الحمراء

كما إتفق الطرفان على تنظيم لقاءات عبر تقنية التحاضر المرئي عن بعد ما بين المهنيين و مجهزي السفن الجزائريين و الايطاليين، لتطوير مشاريع شراكة و استثمارات اقتصادية في عدة مجالات ذات الاهتمام المشترك

المشترك

Meeting between Mr. Ahmed Ferroukhi, Minister of fisheries, and Mr the Ambassador of Italy in Algeria, Mr. Giovanni Bouklyaz. The meeting allowed a review of ways to develop cooperation and partnership between the two countries in three areas, related to each of the maintenance and construction of fishing vessels, the aquaculture industry and red tuna fattening. The two parties also agreed to organize a virtual meeting between Algerian and Italian professionals and ship suppliers to develop partnership projects and economic investments in several areas of common interest.