TWILIGHTED is a Horizon Europe Twinning project that seeks to redress the global inaccessibility of deep-sea research and improve deep-sea research capacity in Madeira Island, Portugal. Collaborating closely with GEOMAR (Germany) and NTNU (Norway), TWILIGHTED aims to transform ARDITI (Madeira, Portugal) into a global hub for deep-sea research, development and innovation (RD&I). Focusing on the poorly-understood Mesophotic Zone (40-200m) and Twilight Zone (200-1,000m), integrating lower-cost technologies and capitalizing on Madeira's unique proximity to deep waters, TWILIGHTED will help accelerate our global understanding of the ocean and its essential role in sustaining life on earth.
TWILIGHTED’s key objectives are to: (1) Collaborate across research institutes in Europe, (2) Elevate the research profile of Portugal and especially the European Outermost Region of Madeira, (3) Innovate low-cost alternatives to state-of-the-art deep-sea research technologies, (4) Democratize deep-sea research, (5) Globalize deep-sea RD&I and (6) Share ocean science across stakeholders.
To achieve its objectives, TWILIGHTED will adopt state-of-the-art approaches to training and networking. Development activities include staff exchanges, expert visits, training schools, joint research missions, the International Twilighted Conference and novel cross-sector workshops stimulating creativity in solving the ocean’s greatest challenges (the Impossible Things Workshops). Training will cover such areas as state-of-the-art research techniques, good scientific practice, responsible and fair data management, data analysis tools, engineering innovative alternatives to state-of-the-art technologies, cruise preparation and coordination and engaging with the community and other stakeholders in innovative and effective ways. Such capacity-building will not only catalyze deep-sea RD&I in Madeira but also ensure a lasting impact on the deep-sea scientific landscape, sustainable ocean policy, and Madeira’s socioeconomic development.