The first day of scientific-technical coordination of the Complementary R+D+i Plan for Marine Sciences in Cantabria was held at IHCantabria’s facilities.

The event was attended by more than 80 people at the headquarters of IHCantabria.The program was also attended by those responsible for the program in each of the participating entities: Luis Valdés, director of the IEO and scientific coordinator of the program at regional level, Raúl Medina, general director of IHCantabria and vice-president of FIHAC and Carlos Beltrán, vice-rector of Research and Science Policy of the University of Cantabria.

The different research teams had the opportunity to present the progress of the almost 30 projects that make up the program in Cantabria, including the scope, objectives and expected results. In this way, it was possible to identify synergies and opportunities for coordination among the various projects, as a basis for strengthening collaboration and optimizing resources until the end of the project, scheduled for the second half of 2025.

In the words of Luis Valdés, “we are sure that this program will be a definitive boost capable of modernizing Spanish marine science”, not only thanks to the complementarity of actions among the agents of Cantabria, but also among the various communities led by the Region of Murcia. “It is, therefore, about doing science-country”, said Raúl Medina, paraphrasing the scientific director of the program. “We have the know-how and the talent, we have secured the funds and we have the institutional support, so we are guaranteed success,” Valdés said.

Thus, with the aim of promoting science as a basis for decision making for the development of public policies, the Complementary Marine Science Plan is perfectly aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations 2030 Agenda and, specifically, with the approach of the Decade of the Oceansunder the slogan “The science we need for the ocean we want”.

ThinkInAzul

ThinkInAzul is the joint strategy of 7 autonomous communities (Andalusia, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Valencian Community, Galicia and Region of Murcia) in the field of Research and Innovation in Marine Sciences. This Complementary Plan is being implemented with contributions from the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICIN) with funds from the Spanish Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR through NextGenerationEU funds) and with contributions from the autonomous communities. It aims to address in a sustainable and cooperative way the new challenges in marine research, aquaculture, new technologies, blue economy and impacts on the marine environment.