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aldo.drago.sharemed.2022

Sharemed presents Framework for Marine Observations in the Mediterranean

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At its flagship internationalisation workshop in Malta on 13/14th September 2022, the MED programme SHAREMED strategic project presented the framework guidelines and proposed actions to organize and synergize the cross-sectoral and cross-border articulation of a marine observation system of systems to assess and address environmental threats in the Mediterranean Sea, connecting marine research to society, and serving the wider interlinked contexts of security and control, monitoring and sustainability, including economic benefits.

Prof. Aldo Drago presented the document and led a dedicated roundtable discussion with expert panelists which included high profile participants from the southern Mediterranean countries.

The discussions dealt with the next steps to engage in collaborative and enduring efforts leading to the co-design and implementation of a regional system for marine observations supported by national endeavours, serving society and seeking a joint and coordinated action plan to address existing challenges and the sustainable use of marine resources in the Mediterranean within the context of the UN Ocean Decade.

SHAREMED is led by Prof. Cosimo Solidoro from the Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS, Trieste).

For more info on the workshop and the Framework Document, you can visit the workshop webpages

 

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

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

 

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

conference building the green ray in malaga

WestMED España organiza una ambiciosa jornada de ‘Diversificación en el Sector Pesquero y Acuícola’ en la sede del Clúster Marítimo-Marino de Andalucía

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El evento se celebra este jueves, 5 de mayo, en el edificio The Green Ray de la capital malagueña y contará con un destacadísimo panel de expertos nacionales e internacionales en ambos campos

Málaga, 4 de mayo de 2022.- La sede del Clúster Marítimo-Marino de Andalucía (CMMA), ubicado en el edificio The Green Ray (bulevar Louis Pasteur, número 47, Málaga), acogerá el evento nacional del Mecanismo de Asistencia de la Iniciativa WestMED en España ‘Diversificación en el Sector Pesquero y Acuícola: Oportunidades dentro de la Economía Azul en el Mediterráneo Occidental’. Será el próximo jueves, 5 de mayo, de 9.00 a 17.00 horas.

Estas jornadas están dirigidas a todos los actores mediterráneos de habla hispana de los sectores de la pesca y la acuicultura, pero también a representantes de la Administración y otros negocios de diversificación internacional. Además, la cita ha sido seleccionada por la Comisión Europea como un evento ‘EU in My Country’, dentro de los eventos en torno al Día Marítimo Europeo de 2022.

Así, a las 9.00 horas se abrirá el registro de participantes y, a las 9.15, será la inauguración. Participarán el director del Clúster Marítimo Español, Fernando Izquierdo Sans, el presidente del CMMA, Javier Noriega, y los coordinadores nacionales de la Iniciativa WestMED, Omar Collado (Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación), y José María Solano (Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación), respectivamente, así como la subdirectora general de este último ministerio, Silvia Solís Reyes.

A las 10.00, tendrá lugar la mesa redonda ‘Diversificación en el Sector Pesquero y Acuícola: Oportunidades dentro de la Economía Azul’, en la que participan Janne Posti, FAME-NET-Vision EU-Thematic and Territorial Officer, Support Unit for Spain; Manuel Pleguezuelo Alonso, de la DG Mare, dará la visión de la gobernanza y la financiación para el Mediterráneo Occidental; formarán parte del panel, asimismo, el presidente de la Federación Nacional de Cofradías Pescadores (FNCP), Basilio Otero, y el funcionario del Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación Raúl Rodrigálvarez Fresneda (dará la visión de la política y la financiación española). Aportará la visión autonómica Félix Orellana, vocal de Pesca y Acuicultura del CMMA.

Tras una pausa para el café, a las 12.15 se abordarán ‘Ejemplos de iniciativas exitosas, innovadoras o punteras en la diversificación pesquera y acuícola’, espacio en el que participarán la fundadora de Turismo Marinero, Shonia Cruz Ibarra, la visión de la arqueología submarina será analizada por el representante de Nerea Arqueología Subacuática, Daniel Florido. Luis Manuel Albiol analizará los servicios de limpieza y lucha contra la contaminación de emergencias y su relación con la pesca, acerca de un caso de la Comisión Interfederativa de las Cofradías de Pescadores de la Comunidad Valenciana (Coincopesca), la Fundación Ecoalf & Ecoembes-Iniciativa ‘Upcycling The Oceans’. Pero también Participarán Inma Torres, de Galpemur, para hablar de la conservación, las reservas marinas y la pesca; Sebastián Martín de Catamarán Zostera, para abordar la relación entre gastronomía y pesca; David Camacho, del Grupo de Acción Local del Sector de Pesquero (GALP) de Málaga, se referirá al mismo asunto y, para debatir en cuanto a la creación de valor y nuevos productos, se analizarán los casos de Relicta Bioplastics (Italia) y Bythos Project-Aquabiotech, de Malta.

A las 15.15 horas, tras la comida, se reanuda la sesión con un ‘Workshop participativo sobre la diversificación del Sector Pesquero y Acuícola’, cuyo fin es propiciar un intercambio de ideas, prácticas y experiencias entre los participantes con la base de tres preguntas: ¿cuáles son los valores principales de su zona que pueden ofrecer oportunidades de diversificación? ¿Han sido suficientemente exploradas las oportunidades de diversificación de su zona? ¿Qué se puede hacer para asegurar las oportunidades de diversificación de su zona?

Por último, tendrá lugar un panel de conclusiones finales y el cierre del evento nacional. Estos dos puntos correrán a cargo del presidente del CMMA y de los coordinadores nacionales de la Iniciativa WestMED, concluyendo a las cinco la jornada.

A través del evento de la Iniciativa WestMED, coorganizado por el CMMA, se abordará el importante asunto de la diversificación en los sectores de la pesca y la acuicultura, se explorarán los diversos desafíos para desarrollar esta diversificación a través de ejemplos excelentes de iniciativas y empresas del entorno de la cuenca del Mediterráneo y, finalmente, se discutirá con los participantes cómo podrían diversificar sus actividades, qué falta para lograr esa diversificación y cómo podrían alcanzarse esos objetivos.

Los desafíos socioeconómicos actuales que enfrenta el sector pesquero en Europa requieren de un esfuerzo para mejorar las condiciones de vida de los pescadores y sus familias, así como las de las comunidades pesqueras. La diversificación de la pesca y la acuicultura se sugiere entre las acciones para preservar una Economía Azul Sostenible en el Mediterráneo, con desafíos sociales, culturales y económicos, dice el Mecanismo de Asistencia de la Iniciativa WestMED en España, que añade: “Es fundamental desarrollar actividades económicas complementarias a la pesca y la acuicultura y crear nuevas oportunidades de negocio (y fuentes de ingresos complementarias para los operadores)”.

Ejemplos de la diversificación en la actividad económica de la pesca y la acuicultura incluyen turismo y excursiones en barco, exhibiciones de actividades pesqueras tradicionales, visitas a granjas de acuicultura u otras actividades recreativas.

La diversificación de la economía de las áreas de pesca, a través de estrategias elaboradas y representadas en los Grupos de Acción Local de Pesca (GALPS), puede ayudar a diversificar economías locales y crear nuevas oportunidades para las comunidades pesqueras.

 

Persona de contacto de WestMED España – Marta Pascual: spain@westmed-initiative.ec.europa.eu

Visite la página del evento WestMED

Sigue al Clúster Marítimo-Marino de Andalucía en Twitter, LinkedIn y Facebook

Bulevar Louis Pasteur, 47 – Local 4 – Buzón 11 – The Green Ray | 29010 – Málaga

Para más información: José Antonio Sau (responsable de Comunicación):

635192292-comunicacion@cmma.eu

 info@cmma.eu | www.cmma.eu

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

screenshot malago-how newspaper - econmia azul article

La economía azul genera 300.000 empleos en Andalucía

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Source: Málago hoy

La economía azul, es decir, la relacionada con mares y océanos; genera en Andalucía 300.000 empleos y 17.000 millones de euros, lo que supone un 10,5% del PIB de la región, sólo dos puntos menos que el turismo. Estas son los principales datos que se extraen del informe La Economía Azul en Andalucía que ha elaborado la Confederación de Empresarios de Andalucía(CEA). 

Leer el artículo completo

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Take part in the Seabed 2030 survey – closes end of April 2021

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Source: NLA International on behalf of Seabed 2030

Last year NLA International Ltd working on behalf of Seabed 2030, launched an online survey to find out more about the status and potential of mapping the ocean floor. The survey collected views from across all interested sectors to help us better understand issues such as:

  • Why stakeholders feel it is important to map the seabed.
  • How interested parties are estimating the environmental, social and economic value of seabed mapping.
  • Where are the most urgent priorities for seabed mapping.

All of this will help us to corroborate – or challenge – existing thinking, and hopefully identify any areas of the seabed that may benefit from a more joined-up / collaborative approach.

We have been really delighted with the responses thus far – we have received nearly 470 detailed responses to date – and are currently hard at work analysing the initial findings.

However, it is not too late to have your say! We will be keeping the survey open until the end of April, and we would be very grateful if you could contribute your views.

To access the survey, please click here.

More information

Read the article: Marine Geospatial Data: the Cornerstone of the Blue Eonomy

Read more about the seabed 2030 Initiuative:  100% of Ocean Floor mapped by 2030