Between June and September, the MARINNONET project successfully organized a series of six regional Blue Biotech Innovation Workshops across Galicia, the Basque Country, the Canary Islands, France, Portugal, and Ireland. These workshops culminated in an online transregional workshop, fostering collaboration and innovation within the Blue Biotechnology sector.
With over 100 participants, including representatives from 13 universities, 32 companies, 11 public entities, and public society, the workshops gathered more than 150 challenges and opportunities identified in the Blue Biotech Sector now integral to the MARINNONET community.
The events provided a platform for participants to address regional needs and challenges across key themes:
- Innovations for an efficient, sustainable, and resilient aquaculture
- Omic and observation technologies for preserving marine biodiversity and restore ocean health
- Marine-derived products for industrial applications
Each regional workshop brought unique insights. For instance, in Portugal, an in-person session at CEPAM-ECOMARE brought together 18 organizations to collaborate on regional needs, concluding with a tour of the ECOMARE facilities. Similarly, in France, a hybrid workshop hosted by Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique and the Station Biologique de Roscoff facilitated discussions around sector-specific challenges and included a visit to the Roscoff facilities.
The series concluded with an online transregional workshop, consolidating findings from all regions. Experts from the MARINNONET consortium presented key outcomes, discussed transnational challenges, and outlined collaborative action plans for the future. The session also launched the call for pilot projects, inviting stakeholders to partner with the MARINNONET consortium to co-develop innovative solutions.
These workshops have laid a strong foundation for collaboration, fostering connections among academia, industry, public entities, and society to drive innovation and address the challenges of Blue Biotechnology.
Learn more about the outputs of the workshops here: Workshop Findings.