Building bridges in the maritime sector
Industries within the maritime sector such as shipbuilding represent an important part of the European economy. The EU-funded project 'Building bridges between EU Member and Candidate States in maritime research on transport within the frames of European research area' (Euromar-Bridges) fostered collaboration in the field between Europe and its neighbours. Team members worked on improving competitiveness through technological excellence by enhancing research and development (R&D). This involved identifying partners for research from the countries involved in the project and highlighting the benefits of cooperation. The project also focused on sustainable maritime development and problem solving in the sector. By pooling innovation and advances in each country to further sustainable growth, the project contributed to applying European transport technology policies. Euromar-Bridges made use of intensive information exchange and technology transfer to realise these goals. It organised workshops and events to raise awareness, present new project layouts and map out specific areas for future research. The project's website supported these tasks and 10 contact points were also established to this end. Overall, the project successfully achieved its goals in creating a platform of exchange on a European level. It brought neighbouring countries and nations aspiring to become EU members closer together in the maritime field, encouraging competitiveness and mapping the road for the future within this sector.