The ‘Aberdeen Plus interest group’ joined forces with the ‘Venice Platform group’ to take further steps in integrating the marine, maritime and coastal research sectors in Europe. The goal is to establish a sustainable and long-lasting partnership forum (“European Marine and Maritime Science and Technology Forum”), based on shared interests and shared leadership, and to test it on regional seas and pan-European basis. The process will contribute to developing interactions between partners (the research community, industry, regional authorities, civil society and other stakeholders) starting from regional scales to broader issues shared with EU-neighbouring countries. This, being in line with the European Strategy for Marine and Maritime Research, will underpin the future integrated EU Maritime Policy. The action will be supported by the already established key structures and will constitute a Forum which will be an operationally open structure.

An application ‘Towards an Integrated Marine and Maritime Science Community’ has been submitted on January the 7th 2009 by the Aberdeen Plus Task Force to the European Union Framework Programme 7 (Priority 6 of cooperation section ‘Environment including climate change’, sub-priority 6.2. ‘Sustainable management of resources’, topic 6.2.1.3., topic ‘Support to maritime partnerships).
The proposal consortium, acting on behalf of the wider Aberdeen Plus Partnership community consists of:

• Coastal and Marine Union
• Community of  European Shipyards’ Associations (representing the Waterborne Technology Platform)
• European Council for Maritime Applied Research and Development Association
• European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform
• European Fisheries and Aquaculture Organization
• Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (representing the European Global Ocean Observing System)
• International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
• Marine Board of the European Science Foundation
• Mediterranean Science Commission
• Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (representing the European Network of Marine Research Institutes and Stations

The MARCOM+ negotiations phase is in its final stage. The project kick off is estimated for January the 1st 2010. Once the initiative kicks off a ‘.eu’ domain will be purchased to create the MARCOM+ webportal.’

Contact:

• Adi Kellermann
  (ICES Head of Science)
  Tel. +45 3338 6714
  
  
• Wojciech Wawrzynski
  (ICES Professional Secretary for Scientific Cooperation)
  Tel. +45 3338 6757            

Documents:

Aberdeen Plus/Venice Platform meeting conclusions

Aberdeen Plus community member list

ICES
H. C. Andersens -
Boulevard 44-46
DK-1553
Copenhagen V
Denmark
Tel: +45 3338 6700
Fax: +45 3393 4215
info@ices.dk