EDA has already managed to deliver on key aspects of the project that are considered to be foundational for the overall implementation of the project. More specifically EDA has:
1. Established the Advisory Board
The scope of establishing the Symbiosis Advisory Board is to assist the Symbiosis Project Management Team in the management, monitoring, and implementation of the project as needed. Moreover, the members of the AB will support the PMT in achieving the project’s objectives and respective goals with their expertise. The AB will also support the implementation of the project by undertaking the necessary measures to reduce existing and emerging factors that could potentially affect the projects’ outcome.
2. Has established the Community of Users ORED and OREC
The establishment of the two communities of users (ORED and OREC CoU) is to assist with their active engagement the PMT to fulfil the mission and the tasks of the Symbiosis project, as well as to implement the projects’ key findings and recommendations.
The two communities of users to be established are:
a. Offshore renewable energy defence community of users (ORED CoU): representatives and experts coming from the defence community. EDA has already the experience and expertise in establishing well-defined defence energy-related communities through two key activities (CF SEDSS -the largest European defence energy community and EDA’s Energy and Environment Working Group -EnE WG4). Therefore, the specific topic on offshore RES and its close link with defence merits the creation of a dedicated expert community of users to preserve the focus on this important topic (CoU).
b. Offshore renewable energy co-existence community of users (OREC CoU): representatives and experts coming from the civilian community. Creating sustainable conditions for the deployment and exploitation of offshore renewables in the maritime areas reserved or used by defence requires an in-depth understanding of the barriers, concerns, and plans from all the engaged stakeholders. In this respect, the civilian community has a lot to offer, hence the need to bring defence in contact with key stakeholders from the civil community to ensure a fruitful, viable, and durable Symbiosis.
3. Implemented the 1st Plenary Conference of the Symbiosis Project
The inaugural event promoting co-existence between defence activities and offshore renewable energy installations was held on 28 June 2023, in Brussels. As the first EDA Horizon Europe-funded project, Symbiosis enhances defence energy resilience and charts a path for future cooperation, amplifying the potential of offshore renewable energy within the European Union.
The website of the project:
https://eda.europa.eu/what-we-do/eu-policies/symbiosis(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)The linked to the communication on the 1st conference:
https://eda.europa.eu/news-and-events/news/2023/06/28/greater-synergies-between-offshore-energy-and-defence-needed-hears-eda-conference(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)The link to the Symbiosis factsheet:https://eda.europa.eu/publications-and-data/latest-publications/factsheet-symbiosis-offshore-renewable-energy-for-defence
