Bluemed Week | 23-25 October 2018 | Barcelona Spain

Bluemed Week | 23-25 October 2018 | Barcelona Spain

The BLUEMED Week, successful alignment of Mediterranean blue stakeholders

Held from 23 to 25 October in Barcelona in the premises of the Union for the Mediterranean, the BLUEMED Week  has been a crucial turning point for the BLUEMED Initiative.

On the first day, the steering group of the Initiative, the GSO BLUEMED WG agreed to launch the BLUEMED pilot initiative for a healthy plastic-free Mediterranean Sea. Countries will identify the actions to be put forward in order to showcase how coordinating R&I activities can contribute to effectively tackle the litter and plastics challenge in relation to the key sectors of the Blue Economy. The impacts of this first joint initiative could be relevant in the perspective of the next R&I EU framework programme.

 

The BLUEMED Platforms welcome for the first time national pivots from non-EU countries to their third technical meeting, held on the second day of the Week. The experts further contributed to consolidate the BLUEMED Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), whose updated version will be released at the beginning of 2019.

On its last day, the BLUEMED Week opened the doors to the Operational Network of Research Funders. Not only the meeting was an occasion to present the outline of the plan to implement the actions identified in the SRIA, but also to progress a step-by-step engagement of key public and private stakeholders in view of the implementation of the BLUEMED actions, including at national and local level.

During the Week we touched the complexity of the multi-level and multi-stakeholders BLUEMED system. Rather to be scared we can be optimistic of the opportunities in front of us. It is a matter of fact that all together we can manage the process functioning. The level of engagement experienced in these three days is a proof that the platforms’ mechanism established by the BLUEMED CSA  is an effective tool not only inter-linking national communities that work towards a common objective. The meeting of the Research Funders Network demonstrated as well how the alignment of relevant initiatives and programmes can be operationally triggered.

It’s time to face the great expectations we are called to meet in 2019!

BLUEMED Week | 23 – 25 October 2018 | Barcelona, Spain| Presentations
 
BLUEMED Week | 23 – 25 October 2018 | Barcelona, Spain| Presentations

Below you can see the agenda of the event. Click on the links to retrieve the presentations that took place.

Tuesday 23rd October 2018 – GSO Working Group + CSA Consultation Assembly and Steering Committee
10:00 – 18:00  

“An Enlarged Blue Growth Research and Innovation Initiative for the Mediterranean

GSO Bluemed Working Group (by invitation only)

15:00 – 18:00  

Bluemed CSA Consultation Assembly and Steering Committee meeting

18:30   Cocktail
Wednesday 24th October 2018 – Bluemed Platforms´ meeting
09:00  

Registration and welcome coffee

09:30  

Welcome and general introduction

Fabio Trincardi, CNR, Italy (Bluemed CSA project coordinator)

Marta Iglesias, DG RTD, European Commission

09:45  

The Update process of the Bluemed SRIA:

The Platforms and the work done

Nikos Papandroulakis, HCMR, Greece

Contributions from new members

11:00  

Coffee break

11:30  

Discussion on the new actions per thematic pillar

– work in platforms (Knowledge, Economy, Technology and Policy) –

13:00  

Discussion and next steps of the process of updating the BLUEMED SRIA

– plenary –

13:30  

Lunch

14:30  

The BLUEMED SRIA Implementation Plan:

  • Introducing concepts

Nikos Papandroulakis, HCMR (Greece)

  • Outline, contents, criteria and methodology

Esther Chacón Campollo, AEI-MICIU (Spain)

  • Work done at CSA level to support the Implementation Plan

Jean-François Cadiou, IFREMER (France)

Andrea Barbanti, CNR (Italy)

Ivica Vilibic, IZOR (Croatia)

Elena Sultana, MCST (Malta)

– plenary open discussion –

16:30  

Wrap-up conclusions, next steps of the Platforms work and AoB

Nikos Papandroulakis, HCMR, Greece

17:00  

End of the meeting

  18:00    Cocktail
Thursday  25th October 2018 – Bluemed Research Funders´ workshop
08:30  

Registration and welcome coffee

09:00  

Welcome remarks

Miguel García-Herraiz, Deputy Secretary General, UfM

Objectives and recap since the 1st Research Funders Workshop. Who is who? Round of presentations

Esther Chacón Campollo, AEI-MICIU, Spain

09:30  

Updating process of the SRIA, and connection with the 1st Research Funders Workshop (March 2018)

Nikos Papandroulakis, HCMR, Greece

Report back from the 2nd GSO Working Group meeting and connection with the Platforms meeting

Marta Iglesias, DG RTD, European Commission

10:00  

The BLUEMED Research Funders Network role in the BLUEMED Implementation Plan

  • Outline and structure of the Implementation Plan and connection with policy aspects

Esther Chacón, AEI-Spain

Andrea Barbanti, CNR-Italy

  • Examples on processes from SRIA to IP

Maurice Héral on behalf of Water JPI and JPI Oceans

Athina Babakou on behalf of EUSAIR

Claude Wohrer on behalf of WestMED

  • Open discussion and input from funders

– Session facilitated by Marta Iglesias, DG RTD-EU Commission –

11:15  

Coffee break

11:45  

Focus session 1

Opportunities for EU Research and Innovation funding support:

Marta Iglesias, DG RTD-European Commission

– Q&A discussion –

12:30  

Focus session 2

Presentation of UfM and the Mediterranean regional setting

Miguel García-Herraiz / Giuseppe Provenzano, UfM- Q&A discussion –

13:00  

Focus session 3

The involvement of Regions, alignment of programmes, priorities and instruments

– Round table and discussion –

13:45  

Lunch

14:45  

Start-Up actions under BLUEMED and how to connect them with the Operational Network of Research and Innovation Funders

Elena Sultana, MCST-Malta

15:15  

How can the private and philanthropic sector complement funding strategies from public funding bodies?

– Round table and discussion –

16:00  

Plenary discussion on sustainability of the Network, conclusions and next steps

Margherita Cappelletto, CNR-Italy (Bluemed CSA project manager)

Esther Chacón Campollo, AEI-Spain

16:30   End of the meeting