The last meeting of scientific-technical coordination of the Complementary R+D+i Plan for Marine Sciences in Cantabria was held at IHCantabria

Researchers of IEO, UC and IHCantabria presented advances and results of almost 30 projects developed within the framework of ThinkinAzul, in Cantabria. New opportunities for collaboration were also discussed

The Environmental Hydraulics Institute of the Universidad de Cantabria  (IHCantabria) has been the scenario, during the 10th and 11th of September, of the last day of scientific-technical coordination of the Complementary Plan of R+D+i in Marine Sciences, also called ThinkInAzul.

The meeting, coordinated by the Government of Cantabria through the Ministry of Universities, Equality, Culture and Sport, brought together around 80 people from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC), the Universidad de Cantabria(UC) and IHCantabria. During the two mornings of work, the research teams presented the progress and results of the nearly 30 projects that make up ThinkInAzul in Cantabria.

A tour of almost 30 projects

On September 10, the day began with a welcoming speech by Raúl Medina, general director of IHCantabria; Raquel Somavilla, scientific coordinator of ThinkInAzul in Cantabria and researcher at IEO-CSIC, and Ignacio Varela, director of the UC Research Area. Subsequently, the progress of some projects developed by UC research staff ─SOSTENLAFLOTA, AMONSOS and Bahía Lab─ and IHCantabria ─Plan Bahía, GIDICOAST, IH-SET, GOS-GLOBAL, DIES, SimuLIT, MARION, SOCAVA, AutoCos and WAMIS─ were presented.

The second day started with the presentation of projects developed by research groups from IHCantabria, oriented to the use of data and digitization, such as IH-DATA UPDATE and INTELIGENTE, as well as UC projects ─3DTurBu, Bio-Ener and CIMA─, some of which are linked to energy and sustainable transition. From the IEO-CSIC, the L1 and L2 projects were presented, with focuses on biodiversity and marine ecosystem health. Subsequently, progress and results of the following projects developed by research staff of IHCantabria were presented: ARES, Cantabria Smart Litoral, ADAPTA-CITY and IMECO.

Synergies and continuity as future axes

The results obtained in all the projects presented at this ThinkInAzul conference have highlighted Cantabria’s capacity to lead research with a real impact on society. In addition to the presentation of results, this conference allowed to analyze the synergies between projects and explore ways of inter-institutional collaboration, to ensure that progress does not remain in specific experiences, but can be consolidated over time, in order to give continuity to several lines of research and ensure the sustainability of the results in the medium and long term.

As Scientific Coordinator of ThinkInAzul in Cantabria, Raquel Somavilla explained: “The Marine Science program, in Cantabria and at national level, has established itself as an essential engine in the generation of scientific knowledge, innovation and transfer, and cooperation between institutions. For the IEO in Cantabria, the complementary plans have meant a qualitative leap in the observation of the ocean and aquaculture with the creation of new reference infrastructures and the development of new facilities and technologies around which strategic research lines of high impact have been initiated and generated synergies with the business network that would not have been possible without this initiative”.

The Managing Director of IHCantabria, Raúl Medina, began by thanking the Government of Spain and the Government of Cantabria. “It is very significant the investment that the government of Cantabria has made in the Marine Science Program”. He also highlighted the positive balance of the conference held this week and emphasized that, the current challenge, is to give continuity to the lines of work of the projects developed within the framework of this initiative. “What we have celebrated these two days is not the end of anything. Great results have been presented of projects that will have continuity and that will be the future of Marine Sciences in Cantabria […]. We know that it was a challenge for the Government of Spain and for the Government of Cantabria to achieve the Complementary Plan for Marine Sciences and to provide this funding to several institutions; now the challenge is for the research staff, to give back to society what society has given us. This is our challenge and we are going to achieve it”, said Raúl Medina.

On behalf of the UC, the Director of the Research Area, Ignacio Varela, stressed that this University “is very proud to have participated in the Complementary Marine Science Plan (ThinkInAzul). Participation in this project, coordinated among more than 40 centers nationwide, demonstrates the scientific excellence of the work carried out in recent years by research groups of the IEO-CSIC, the UC and IHCantabria, and its recognition both nationally and internationally. During this scientific-technical conference, the results obtained in the projects developed in Cantabria within the framework of this initiative have been shown, which have had an enormous impact, both at scientific level and in the possible transfer to the industrial sector”.

The key now is to continue transferring these results to the public and to public policies, which is already being worked on, based on the inter-institutional experience that has been forged with ThinkInAzul. “Within the projects that have been developed in Cantabria, there are some of basic science and others of applied science, those that are closer to society. These projects, which have a very high TRL (Technological Maturity Level), are close to being used and are already being used,” said the Managing Director of IHCantabria, Raúl Medina.

ThinkInAzul

This is a joint strategy of 7 autonomous communities (Andalusia, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Valencian Community, Galicia and Region of Murcia) in research and innovation in Marine Sciences. Its development is financed with contributions from the Ministry of Science and Innovation, from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (NextGenerationEU funds), and with contributions from the autonomous communities. This Complementary Plan seeks to respond, in a sustainable and cooperative manner, to the new challenges related to marine research, aquaculture, emerging technologies, the blue economy and the impacts of global change on marine ecosystems. It is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

Detailed information on the projects developed by the three Cantabrian entities that participated in the Complementary R&D&I Plan in Marine Sciences can be accessed through the following website: https://thinkinazul.cantabria.es/