IHCantabria leads the Spanish Network of Knowledge Spaces for Blue Economy (REECEA) in Cantabria

The Environmental Hydraulics Institute of the Universidad de Cantabria (IHCantabria) will be the agent representing Cantabria in the Spanish Network of Knowledge Spaces for the Blue Economy (REECEA). Promoted by the General Secretariat of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), REECEA aims to move towards a more sustainable, competitive and fair blue economy model, capable of transforming the challenges of the marine sector into opportunities for growth and sustainable development.

On November 6, the presentation meeting for this new stage took place in Madrid, with the participation of representatives of the General Secretariat of Fisheries, the 20 representatives of the fishing and aquaculture sector, research centers and technological entities that currently form part of the Consortium.

A meeting point for the promotion of innovation and sustainability

REECEA was formally constituted (Order APA/976/2025) in August, as an instrument for learning and interaction between the Knowledge Spaces for the Blue Economy and a channel for information, communication and dissemination of the activities carried out to contribute to the transfer of knowledge, in order to promote the Blue Economy.

The network offers an open, participatory and transformative space that promotes the work of multidisciplinary consortia, diversity that allows knowledge to be shared, synergies to be generated and common challenges to be addressed through collaborative projects.

Selected by the General Secretariat of Fisheries, IHCantabria will contribute with its experience and knowledge transfer capacity in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. Furthermore, participating in REECEA is an opportunity to incorporate knowledge in cross-cutting sectors of the blue economy such as marine energy, blue biotechnology, port infrastructures or studies of environmental impacts and interactions between sectors.

Currently, and in collaboration with other participants in the network, IHCantabria is developing projects on topics such as adaptation to climate change, both in port infrastructures and in fishing and aquaculture species; or the management of the invasive Asian alga Rugulopteryx okamurae, and its effect on fishing, and other sectors such as blue tourism.

The network will also use the digital platform for communication and collaboration REECEA, conceived as a virtual space for the meeting, joint work, innovation and training of the different actors of the Sustainable Blue Economy. The platform was created in the framework of the project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the European Union “Interterritorial Atlantic Platform for Sustainable Blue Growth” (PLATICAS), led by IHCantabria.

Through this platform, it is possible to collaborate in public or private projects, create groups, share content, participate in thematic conversations, access relevant information and establish networks with other professionals and entities in the sector.

Access to the platform can be requested at:

https://smartplaticas.theglocal.network/company/smart-platicas