Horizon Europe
Ambitious Projects to Tackle Invasive Alien Species Launched in Europe
Two ambitious multi-stakeholder projects that aim to tackle the threat of invasive alien species have been launched at a conference in Europe this week (20-23 January 2025). GuardIAS and OneSТOP — covering marine and freshwater, and terrestrial habitats respectively — will work in tandem to alleviate the adverse impacts of invasive alien species on endangered species, natural sites and human health, providing comprehensive coverage of Europe’s ecosystems. Invasive alien species — animals and plants that are introduced accidentally or deliberately into a natural environment where they are not normally found — are major threats worldwide, contributing to 60% of plant and animal extinctions and costing over $400 billion annually to global economies. The challenges associated with invasive alien species are likely to intensify with climate change and ongoing globalisation. The GuardIAS and OneSTOP projects will use advanced scientific research, cutting-edge technology, and artificial intelligence to develop new tools and methods that will prevent, detect, prioritise, eradicate, and manage invasive alien species — covering all steps of the biological invasion process. In addition, a significant aspect of both projects is public engagement and wider community involvement, including Citizen Science initiatives, outreach and art events, and the development of interactive games to gain support and promote action in addressing the threats of invasive alien species. “We have created a multi-disciplinary approach, which I am very excited about”, said GuardIAS Project Coordinator Professor Stelios Katsanevakis, University of the Aegean, Greece. “We have brought together public research institutes, universities, non-profit associations, small/medium enterprises and the EU’s Joint Research Centre to work on the issue. Through this, we will create a far-reaching outreach programme that involves the wider community in addressing the challenges posed to society by invasive alien species.” Prof Katsanevakis continued, “The GuardIAS project aims to improve the detection and prevent the spread of invasive alien species in both marine and freshwater habitats using a range of novel methods — such as artificial intelligence (AI), environmental DNA, satellite imagery, underwater robotics and monitoring systems, and the development of an early alert system. Information gained from the research will be used to increase public awareness regarding threats from invasive species spread, enhance public engagement, and enable decision makers to prioritise where and when to act.” GuardIAS and OneSTOP will develop solutions for the management of invasive alien species at multiple governance levels, from local to international — and will also conduct analyses to assess invasion risks under various future scenarios, including climate change. “It has been an incredible week at the Joint Research Centre in Ispra, hearing the scope of both projects and being with the different partners and stakeholders, discussing and collaborating”, said Professor Helen E. Roy from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and University of Exeter, who is co-leading OneSTOP. “We have been aware for many years that there are datasets in many different places, with different people doing different things in different ways, and we knew there had to be a way to bring it all together. And now, we are launching initiatives to build on the incredible progress of the last decade. It is an exciting and significant moment for all involved”. OneSTOP’s coordinator Doctor Quentin Groom from Meise Botanic Garden, Belgium, shared the reasoning behind the project, “To comprehensively address the issue of invasive alien species, OneSTOP is working around four main objectives. We are developing new tools allowing us to detect invasive alien species better. We are connecting these tools to systems which send information to the interested stakeholders faster. Based on the obtained data, we are also developing a system which allows policymakers to prioritise action on invasive alien species. Throughout all of this, we are working closely with people on a regional level through Living Labs and on an international level with a policy forum.” A key part of both projects are work packages that will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to systematically query different biodiversity databases for information about invasive alien species — for example, species distribution, environmental tolerances, biological traits, and genetic information, streamlining multiple datasets. To complement the EU efforts for an official reporting system and the European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN), the projects will be co-developing an Alert System on invasive alien species. Funded by Horizon Europe, the projects have been hailed as not just a response to current environmental challenges but also a proactive step towards sustainable management and conservation of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in Europe. The comprehensive approach of the projects, encompassing science, technology, and community engagement, positions them as key players in the EU’s efforts to preserve biodiversity and protect ecosystems from the growing threat of invasive species in alignment with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Regulation. Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Photo credit: Benoît Outrey/Biosphoto
SURIMI Project to Integrate Models into the Digital Twin Ocean
“The Digital Twin Ocean serves to make ocean knowledge available to all: governments, politicians, scientific experts, the private sector, entrepreneurs, ordinary citizens and activists alike, thus empowering them to become partners in knowledge generation by facilitating interactions in the pursuit of a healthy and productive ocean.” (Digital Twin Ocean 2024) At ERINN Innovation, our expertise lies in guiding and accelerating impactful research and innovation for sustainable initiatives. Ensuring that information is accessible to all is crucial for advancing European sustainable strategies and achieving a sustainable future. Funded by Horizon Europe’s EU Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters by 2030, the NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS coordinates SURIMI project, which will integrate socio-economic models into the European Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO). With a budget of €3.4 million and a consortium of eight partners across seven countries, SURIMI will operate from 2024 to 2027. It is one of four sibling projects—alongside SEADITO, SEADOTs, and ECOTWIN—focused on contributing socio-ecological models to the EU DTO. The EU DTO aims to create a digital representation of real-world ocean and water systems, using real-time and historical data from sources such as Copernicus and the European Marine Observation and Data Network. This system will simulate various ocean scenarios, offering insights and solutions to address future climate change pressures. SURIMI will use live data on fish stocks, landings, and distribution, applying artificial intelligence to conduct simulations and generate written responses. These models will be accessible to researchers, entrepreneurs, local authorities, and the public, facilitating more effective and sustainable marine resource management, policymaking, and conservation. This data will be vital for decision-makers and crucial in developing preventative measures to address harmful events, significantly contributing to ecosystem-based fisheries management while aligning with the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. ERINN Innovation will forefront the project’s dissemination, exploitation, and communication strategy, leading the creation of the project branding, website, maintenance of social media platforms, and knowledge transfer to ensure impact beyond the lifetime of the project. The goals of SURIMI include: • Strengthening the assessment capabilities of the EU DTO with respect to impacts of environmental changes, human pressures and policy implementation on ocean health, the blue economy, and societal prosperity. • Elevating stakeholder skills in using state-of-the-art digital twinning tools for faster and cheaper evidence-based assessment and sustainable management of marine resources, increasing blue economy jobs, and thus supporting the move towards resilient infrastructure within the EU. • Democratising access to high-quality data and simulation model predictions related to stock status, prevention of overfishing, and equitable distribution of natural resources. • Bringing ocean knowledge to all, citizen science will be encouraged by providing accessible user-friendly tools, broadening engagement in ocean sciences, policy and sustainability. • Contributing to an ever-evolving EU DTO database with input from experts and non-experts alike to create a “stand-alone usability” principle, meaning that SURIMI tools will be easy to use without specialist guidance. ERINN Innovation’s role in SURIMI will bridge the gap between research, policy, industry, and society, advancing long-term marine and ocean management in line with the EU Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters by 2030. Learn more about SURIMI.
Workshop on Practical Solutions to Decarbonise Energy Use In European Buildings
The EU-funded RES4Build project is hosting a workshop to identify technological, market and regulatory advancements for the heating and cooling of space and water in buildings. Taking place in Brussels on 29 March 2023, participants will have the opportunity to provide insight on solutions that will lead to the efficient decarbonisation of energy used in European buildings. Buildings account for more than 40% of energy consumption in Europe, most of which is still supplied by fossil fuels. Phasing out fossil fuel use in buildings can help address many of Europe’s most pressing challenges including climate change, air pollution and dependency on imported fuels. However, achieving this future requires the rapid upscaling of impactful, energy-efficient solutions. While approaches to decarbonising Europe’s buildings are available, the pace of change is slow. The workshop will bring together research, industry, policymakers, and end users to help identify the developments and conditions that are needed to accelerate this decarbonisation and meet EU policy objectives. The agenda will follow three key themes: The latest technological innovations to prioritise to enable EU decarbonisation objectives. Suitable market and regulatory conditions and how they can accelerate the pace of change. Incorporating end user and audience perspectives to implement these solutions. RES4BUILD is an EU-funded, Horizon 2020 research project that has made good progress in developing zero-carbon solutions for the building sector. The project’s integrated energy system incorporates heat pump and combined solar photovoltaic-thermal technologies together with thermal storage and smart management systems to produce low carbon heating and cooling for buildings. An impact assessment has indicated the technical potential of such integrated energy systems in the European market and ongoing work is clarifying the applicability of the approach to serve end users in their transition to decarbonisation. All public reports are available on the project website. For more information on the workshop, please visit: https://res4build.eu/news-events/news/Energy-Workshop-Brussels/
BlueRemediomics: European project launched to harness the vast potential of marine microbial resources
A new European research project was recently launched which aims to leverage the untapped potential of marine microbial resources. The marine microbiome is one of the fastest growing segments of the blue bioeconomy, and its study is vital for the discovery, understanding, protection and utilisation of our ocean resources. BlueRemediomics will develop novel tools and approaches to explore marine microbiome data, uniting an international consortium of experts that will work on the discovery and production of high value sustainable marine microbiome-based products, processes and services. BlueRemediomics will systematically catalogue marine microbiome data and marine culture collections to facilitate the development of industrial processes that reduce waste, increase the reuse of natural products and by-products, and improve aquaculture processes. The project simultaneously aims to ensure equitable access to and sharing of benefits derived from any new products, such as new medicines or cosmeceuticals. It will also gauge the societal appetite for biobased solutions. “Marine microbes have evolved to exploit and reuse both natural and artificial resources that they encounter in their relatively nutrient-poor environment. This can be as simple as a single enzyme, or involve a series of processes involving different species,” said coordinator Rob Finn, Microbiome Informatics Team Leader and MGnify PI at EMBL-EBI. “The BlueRemediomics project will exploit existing data to help identify such processes and enable us to derive new biobased solutions for reducing waste or for bioremediation.” A key aim of the project is to develop an open access biodiscovery platform to integrate microbiome data, and to enrich this data with functional information to facilitate its exploration for potential biological products. The project will also develop innovative approaches for the isolation and growth of these microorganisms to further enable such exploration. “Marine microbial communities represent a vast unexploited treasure trove of bioresources that have the potential to strengthen the European blue economy,” said Chris Bowler, Director of Research at CNRS, co-coordinator of the project. “For example, to safely carry out aquaculture – the farming of our oceans – it is vital that we expand our understanding of the roles played by marine microbes for ocean health. The BlueRemediomics project will establish a Microbiome Health Index for monitoring marine environments, thus allowing us to promote healthy microbiome approaches and strategies in aquaculture in line with the ‘do no significant harm’ principle”. The project was awarded €7.65 million under the latest Horizon Europe Research and Innovation funding programme with an additional €1.54 million in Associated Partner funding provided by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). BlueRemediomics launched on 1st December 2022 and will run for four years. To keep up to date with the project, please visit twitter.com/BlueRemediomics. A website for the project is coming soon.
Launch of SEALIVE Business Plan Tool to Support Sustainable Growth
Press release, 25 January 2023 Gate2Growth has launched a free, online tool to help companies to develop targeted business plans. Developed as part of the EU-funded, SEALIVE project, the Gate2Growth Business Plan Writer tool will guide entrepreneurs and business owners to develop business plans that uniquely include sustainability and circularity principles. The tool offers a one-stop shop to create a complete sustainable business plan, steering users through all the necessary steps from customer identification, production requirements, and management capabilities to funding strategies. SEALIVE is a €10.26 million, Horizon 2020-funded Innovation Action project that has the vision to reduce plastic waste and contamination on land and in seas by boosting the use of biomaterials and contributing to the circular economy with cohesive bio-plastic strategies. The new tool has been designed to support SEALIVE partners to develop business plans for project results. The tool is also open to the public and can be used by other entrepreneurs and SMEs to assess their own business plans, particularly through the lens of sustainability and circular economy principles. The Gate2Growth Business Plan Writer contains three components: An online business plan writer to ensure the business plan has a narrative, and that all business model components are outlined; A budget module to strengthen the financial background of the business plan, and; A business plan quality assessment to provide an indication of the completeness of the business plan and investor readiness. By working through all three parts, entrepreneurs can convert their business idea into a complete business plan and comprehensive budget overview while including considerations of circularity and sustainability. All data are saved in a protected space, and each user has full control over who can get access to the information uploaded. The final business plan can be downloaded as a PDF ready to be shared with potential investors or used in grant applications. Commenting on the significance of the tool, Carmen Bianca Socaciu, Senior Consultant at Gate2Growth said: “We know how hard it is to bring new ideas to market, particularly products that don’t follow conventional pipelines. With the Gate2Growth Business Plan Writer, SMEs and entrepreneurs have easy access to clear, tailored advice that will help their business goals take shape. We look forward to receiving participants’ feedback!” To access the business plan tool, visit g2g-tool.investornet.dk/sealive/. For more updates from SEALIVE, follow @EU_SEALIVE or visit sealive.eu.
New Horizon Europe project launched to enhance the resilience of EU aquaculture by improving aquatic animal health and welfare
Researchers from 16 countries are uniting to transform aquatic animal health and welfare within the European aquaculture industry, while also supporting the environmentally friendly, inclusive, safe and healthy production of seafood. Funded by the EU Horizon Europe programme, Cure4Aqua is a €4.8 million, 4.5-year project that will develop new approaches to prevent aquatic fish diseases through innovative prophylaxis and technologies for early disease detection, while also supporting the advancement of alternative treatments to replace pharmaceuticals in disease control. Farmed seafood is an important source of protein for food and animal feed, with a low-carbon footprint, essential to help build a sustainable food system. However, the control of pathogens continues to be a major challenge for the sector. This is particularly relevant for Europe, where there is a great variety of species and production systems, which hinders the implementation of good husbandry practices tailored to each aquatic species. Cure4Aqua has brought together leading experts to take several key actions: Develop cost-effective vaccines to prevent diseases in farmed fish Implement selective breeding programmes to improve stress and disease management Develop innovative, bio-based and sustainable alternatives to antibiotics for controlling fish diseases at various life stages Develop new tools and artificial-intelligence-based technology to improve fish health and welfare Improve diagnostics of fish pathogens Integrate farmer and fish welfare as a priority of aquaculture production by developing high welfare standards that consider different life-stages, production systems, and knowledge of welfare needs. Cure4Aqua project coordinator, Ivona Mladineo from the Institute of Parasitology (BCAS) in Czech Republic said: “Research must be at the forefront of positive changes that will ensure our food systems are sustainable while caring about high health and welfare standards for fish. There is an urgent need to solve some of the major shortcomings and constraints that the European aquaculture industry is facing. Cure4Aqua will address these issues by building a co-creative approach with other players interested and involved in the aquaculture. I am looking forward leading this vital project.” Cure4Aqua partners held an inaugural project meeting on 16-17 November 2022 in Prague (Czech Republic). The project will run until April 2027. For more information, please visit cure4aqua-project.eu or follow @Cure4Aqua_EU
“For Peat’s Sake”: Brussels Nature Restoration Law Event
Press Release 27 October 2022 On 26th October 2022, Horizon 2020 project WaterLANDS and Interreg North-West Europe project Care-Peat hosted a joint event in Brussels to discuss peatland policy recommendations developed with stakeholders and to advocate for stronger peatland targets in the proposal for the new EU Nature Restoration Law. The event, attended by MEPs, Directorate-Generals, and other policy stakeholders, called for a range of new measures, including the significant increase of peatland restoration targets for 2050, and the mandatory monitoring of restoration. While the event organisers welcome the proposed Nature Restoration Law as a positive step, including the binding targets for EU countries to restore peatland by 2030, 2040 and 2050, and the recognition of alternative modes of use for rewetted land, stronger peatland targets were advocated for, including: The restoration of peatland must include rewetting. Significant improvement of peatland restoration targets for 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement. Target all non-residential land uses of drained peatland for restoration. Mandatory monitoring of peatland restoration. In her keynote speech, MEP Jutta Paulus called for the improvement of the Nature Restoration Law, saying “Peatlands are some of our most valuable ecosystems, covering only 3% of Earth’s land area but storing more than 600 gigatonnes of the planet’s soil carbon, which approximately corresponds to the amount of carbon emitted by Europe since 1750. The degradation of peatlands has caused them to become carbon sources rather than sinks. The proposal for the Nature Restoration Law is Europe’s chance to champion peatlands in policy, but we must act now to strengthen the targets for a stronger Law for nature.” The European Commission’s proposal for the EU Nature Restoration Law was presented on June 22, 2022 and sets a precedent as Europe’s first legally binding requirement to protect nature. The proposed draft law covers a range of terrestrial and maritime ecosystems, habitats and species, including rivers, forests, grasslands and peatlands, and sets specific targets for restoring these ecosystems. If sufficiently ambitious, the proposal, due to be adopted as law by 2023, holds promise to protect habitats, reverse biodiversity loss, ensure a just transition, and enable climate mitigation and action in line with the stated objectives of the EU Green Deal, the Paris Agreement, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. “For Peat’s Sake”, Strengthening Peatlands Targets in the EU Nature Restoration Law” included a technical peatland seminar followed by a high-level policy event hosted by MEP Jutta Paulus. It emphasised the crucial role of peatlands for biodiversity, carbon storage, water cycles and climate resilience throughout Europe under the Nature Restoration Law. The event showcased how the WaterLANDS and Care-Peat projects will create a legacy for the upscaling of wetland restoration by contributing to European policy and the implementation of the Nature Restoration Law, while emphasising the necessity of improved targets for peatland restoration. Peatlands are under threat, with over half of their total coverage in the EU now degraded due to human activity. The bulk of this degradation occurs from the draining of peatlands, which releases large quantities of carbon in the form of greenhouse gas, contributing to climate change. The EU is the second largest global emitter of greenhouse gases from drained peatlands. Representatives of WaterLANDS and Care-Peat look forward to further work and discussions on the draft law, which will take place in the coming months. For More Information Contact Laoise Dillon Visit the project websites: WaterLands and CarePeat This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101036484 (WaterLANDS). This output reflects the views of the authors and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
PREP4BLUE: Progress towards EU Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters by 2030
An exciting project to enable the EU Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters by 2030 is underway. PREP4BLUE (Preparing the Research & Innovation Core for Mission Ocean, Seas & Waters) project partners met in Brussels on 14 and 15 September to share initial results and plans for next steps in this €4.9 million, three-year project supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe funding programme. Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030 seeks to protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, prevent and eliminate pollution of our ocean, seas, and waters, and make the Blue Economy sustainable, carbon neutral, and circular. PREP4BLUE aims to inspire, engage, and involve citizens and stakeholders to interlink, leverage, and optimise activities among Mission projects, in particular in specific “Lighthouse” areas: Mediterranean Sea, Baltic and North Seas, Danube River basin, and the Atlantic/Arctic Sea basin. ERINN was heavily involved in the design and development stage of the project, leading the proposal conceptualisation as well as writing the bid. ERINN now leads the knowledge management activities, implementing a robust methodology as well as development and piloting of tools to ensure the efficient and effective transfer of high potential knowledge and solutions to contribute to the achievement of the Mission goals. Dr François Houllier, CEO of the Institut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer (Ifremer), welcomed the participants at the French Maison Irène et Frédéric Joliot-Curie. Dr John Bell, the European Commission’s Healthy Planet Director opened the meeting by emphasising PREP4BLUE’s key role in the implementation of the Mission: “Working at scale, on the ground, with citizens, promoting innovation to create impact [together we need to ensure] systemic, irreversible change towards the mission objectives”. Partner discussions at the meeting focused on the practical steps needed to develop the methodologies, tools and resources that will underpin all initiatives hoping to respond to the Mission objectives. The goal for PREP4BLUE is to provide robust methodologies and practical guidance that will enable all citizens and stakeholders to engage in the co-creation and co-implementation of activities to support Mission objectives. Project Coordinator, Natalia Martin Palenzuela, Director of International and European Affairs at the Ifremer said, “Bringing the PREP4BLUE partners together for their first in-person meeting was an exciting milestone. There was a real buzz in the room with stimulating conversations and collaborations that were much more dynamic face to face compared to online. It was clear that everyone is both committed to the project and motivated to develop tangible, practical solutions that will support the entire EU community to achieve its Mission. I’m looking forward to the next stages of the project!” To stay up to date with progress, follow @PREP4BLUE on Twitter and check out the project website, prep4blue.eu, coming soon. To engage with Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters by 2030, follow @eumissionocean on Twitter, and visit EU Missions in Horizon Europe to learn more about all five EU Missions.
EmpowerUs project launched to enable coastal communities to act for change
The European Union has launched an exciting new research project to empower coastal communities to transition towards more sustainable, inclusive and resilient coastal development. EmpowerUs (Socio-economic Empowerment of coastal communities as users of the sea to ensure sustainable coastal development) is a €6 million project that launched under the EU Horizon Europe Programme on 1st October 2022 and will run for three years. Coastal communities face many challenges including extreme weather associated with climate change, rising sea levels, tourism pressures, changing fisheries and traditional industries and how to adapt to sustainable economic development. Recognising that these complex challenges require multiple, integrated solutions, EmpowerUs is a multidisciplinary, collaborative project that will support coastal communities in their transition to becoming more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. Working with local, regional, national and international stakeholders, EmpowerUs will co-create, pilot and evaluate Tailored Empowerment Programmes to support coastal communities in their transformation towards becoming more sustainable. The Programmes will include a portfolio of flexible, transdisciplinary tools to support social innovations that increase socio-economic resilience, well-being and job opportunities for a diverse range of community members, ensuring that nobody is left behind. In addition, practical guidance on implementing nature-based solutions to address environmental problems will enable communities to take ownership of their climate resilience. The Programmes will be implemented across a network of six pilot sites located in Bulgaria (Burgas Province), Cyprus (Eastern Limassol Region), Finland (Åland Islands), Ireland (West Coast), Norway (North), and Spain (North-western Mediterranean). Tools from the Empowerment Programmes will be shared for free on a digital platform so that all coastal communities in Europe and beyond can adapt and apply the lessons learned to their own sites. EmpowerUs project coordinator, Dr Maiken Bjørkan, Research Professor at Nordland Research Institute (Norway), said: “Living by the sea, I’ve witnessed first-hand the social, economic and environmental challenges faced by coastal communities. To solve these problems, we have to work together. Merging the multidisciplinary background of the EmpowerUs team together with the lived experience and expertise of community members will be a powerful combination. I’m excited to get the project underway!” ERINN Innovation played a key role in helping to secure funding for EmpowerUs by helping to recruit the consortia, providing proposal writing training to coordination team via ERINN’s Horizon Europe Masterclass series and helping to write and proof the final bid. During project implementation ERINN will also use its knowledge transfer expertise to lead communications, dissemination and exploitation activities for EmpowerUs, ensuring that project innovations reach their intended audiences. Michael Papapetrou, ERINN Executive Director (Ireland), said: “Working with the EmpowerUs team is a pleasure and we are proud to have played a role in gaining funding for this important research. Having been involved with the project from the start, it is exciting to see everything come together, and we look forward to sharing the innovations that arise from the project.” EmpowerUs is led by Nordland Research Institute (NRI), Norway, and brings together 16 partner organisations from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland Spain and the UK. The project will create European leadership in the socio-economic empowerment of users of the sea in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the EU Green Deal and Paris Agreement. The inaugural EmpowerUs partner meeting was held in Barcelona on 4th and 5th October. Please follow @EmpowerUs_EU on Twitter for the latest updates.
EU-Funded PREP4BLUE Launches – Will Prepare Mission Ocean and Waters for Successful Start
Five EU European Missions have been proposed as a novel way to enable solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing our world. Funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program, PREP4BLUE is a €4.9 million, three-year project (Coordination and Support Action) and the first building block to Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030. This Mission seeks to protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, prevent and eliminate pollution of our ocean, seas, and waters, and make the Blue Economy sustainable, carbon neutral, and circular. PREP4BLUE aims to inspire, engage, and involve citizens and stakeholders to interlink, leverage, and optimise activities among the projects, in particular its specific Lighthouse areas: Mediterranean Sea, Baltic and North Seas, Danube River basin, and Atlantic/Arctic Sea basin. The project partners are leading European organisations and thought leaders that complement each other in experience, expertise, and stakeholder reach across marine and freshwater areas. Project Coordinator, Natalia Martin Palenzuela, Director of International and European Affairs at the Institut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer (Ifremer) said, “To engage research and innovation as a key catalyst for achieving the Mission’s objectives, a new direction must be taken towards participatory governance of this Mission, bold investment plans, and the co-design and co-implementation of solutions with citizens and stakeholders at its heart. PREP4BLUE seeks to enable this transformation during the first phase of the Mission (2021-2025).” PREP4BLUE commenced on 1 June 2022 with an initial virtual launch meeting for partners on 20 June. The launch of the Mission Implementation Charter will take place during the UN Ocean Conference on 30 June in Lisbon, Portugal. You can register to attend in person or watch it live virtually by visiting the European Commission’s Event page on the Charter launch. Follow project activities and news on Twitter @PREP4BLUE and on the project website, coming soon at PREP4BLUE.eu. Follow @eumissionoceanon Twitter to learn about opportunities to engage with this important initiative, and visit EU Missions in Horizon Europe to learn more about the EU Missions.
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David Murphy (IE/UK)
Laura Richardson (IE)
Marieke Reuver (NL)
Michael Papapetrou (GR/IE)
Reid Hole (NO)
