VENTuRE started off with a successful kick-off meeting. The administrative programme of work packages, tasks, milestones, deliverables, events and activities, and financial management was established. Quarterly Management meetings ensure VENTuRE proceeds along the proposed timeline. The Project Management Manual, Quality Assurance Plan, Data Management Plan & live COVID-19 Pandemic mitigation plan was operational throughout the project duration. The consortium was able to effectively complete the tasks and events, all milestones, and deliverables.
To enhance the scientific & technological capacity, the activities comprised: six short specialist courses, an e-platform for training and sharing the material developed, help staff and early career researchers gain knowledge and develop skills through short-term partner university visits, industry secondments, short term expert visits to research facilities, develop an action plan for UM to support the new experimental and virtual towing tank facility, provide hands-on experience and develop state-of-the-art techniques of data measurements, applications and practices.
To raise the research profile, a research area discussion workshop established three research groups appropriate to VENTuRE's specific objectives: Resistance & Propulsion; Seakeeping & Manoeuvring; Combined CFD/EFD Methods. At least three cases from each group were completed. Researcher orientated annual seminars for publication strategies were organised. The joint cooperation of research groups, joint mentoring and supervision have resulted in 14 joint peer-reviewed publications in high-ranking Q1 and Q2 journals, and 16 international peer-reviewed conference publications. Joint proposals have resulted in 4 Malta National funding awards, namely from Malta Transport, Maritime Seed Award, and Malta Council of Science & Technology Blue Award. Horizon Europe joint proposals under the Horizon-WIDERA-2022-ACCESS-04 (Excellence Hubs) and Horizon-MCSA_2022_DN (Doctoral Networks) were submitted.
Networking, organising, and attending such activities increase the partners' exposure, promote knowledge exchange, and create a solid and sustainable basis for future collaborations. Activities involved the partners into the Hydro Testing Forum, an international network of excellence from industry and academia; attending the activities of the partners' ongoing activities in the various areas of of the design of energy efficiency ships.
To Build Tomorrow’s Maritime Professional and Academic Innovators, the activities developed the skills and knowledge of the future maritime professionals and academic innovators through three Annual Postgraduate Conferences. The researchers benefited through joint mentorship and supportive opportunities, student exchanges to the various partner universities, and secondments to the maritime industrial partner. Six summer/winter schools were organised to increase awareness and skills in the area of naval architecture, ocean, and marine engineering. A framework of a possible joint MSc between two of the universities was established.
Communication, dissemination & exploitation (CDE) are fundamental to information dispersion and use by third parties. Initial DCE plans were established, regularly reviewed and updated to ensure compliance with the proposed measures, culminating in the final CDE plans. VENTuRE social media tools comprising of a website, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and e-platform provided the means to disseminate and communicate the VENTuRE events, activities, achievements, publications, local, regional and international networking events. The dispersion of VENTURE information resulted in over 65 website posts, 9 press releases, 15 e-newsletters, 32 public engagement events, 1 national television event, 3 brokerage events, 14 high-ranking joint journal publications, and 16 peer-reviewed conference publications.
The final Exploitation plan details the possible exploitable outcomes from the short specialist courses and summer/winter schools for CPD courses and materials; the research data generated, and literature reviews created through the Research groups; and a framework that may be developed into a joint MSc programme.
