Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Black Sea CONNECT (Coordination of Marine and Maritime Research and Innovation in the Black Sea)
Reporting period: 2019-10-01 to 2021-03-31
Improved knowledge and enhanced infrastructure together with better coordination and alignment of research and innovation efforts could both help to restore and maintain the resilience of the Black Sea ecosystem and enable sustainable exploitation of its natural resources. To this end, an Initiative has been supported by the EU to develop a joint research and innovation roadmap and guide national and EU-level policymakers. The Burgas Vision Paper was produced by the Initiative and published by the EC as the key framework document for a shared vision of a productive, healthy, resilient, sustainable and better-valued Black Sea by 2030. It was prepared by experts from Black Sea coastal countries, in cooperation with marine experts from leading European marine institutes and organisations, with the support of the EC. It addresses the key pillars on which a new Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) and its Implementation Plan can be built on, a direction which was further supported by the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea, endorsed by all the Black Sea countries. The Black Sea Blue Growth Initiative identified four main pillars: 1.Addressing fundamental Black Sea research challenges, 2.Developing products, solutions and clusters underpinning Black Sea Blue Growth, 3.Building of critical support systems and innovative Infrastructures, 4.Education and capacity building.
The core contribution of the Black Sea CONNECT project will be to scientifically, technically and logistically support the Black Sea Blue Growth Initiative towards the implementation of the Burgas Vision Paper, with a view on boosting the Blue Economy in the region. The CSA will develop and promote a shared vision for a productive, healthy, resilient, sustainable and better valued Black Sea. The overall objective of the Action is to coordinate the development of the SRIA, based on the defined principles in the Burgas Vision Paper and support the development of the Blue Growth in the Black Sea. The SRIA and its Implementation Plan will guide stakeholders from academia, funding agencies, industry, policy and society to address together the fundamental Black Sea challenges, to promote blue growth and economic prosperity of the Black Sea region, to build critical support systems and innovative research infrastructure and to improve education and capacity building. The project will support the policy direction set in the Burgas Vision Paper and it will link stakeholders, relevant initiatives and institutions. The crosscutting issues of the project will be integrating policy, industry and research linking innovation to blue economy as well as promoting the alignment and convergence of national and international research and innovation activities and relevant initiatives and investments.
The objectives are as follows: O1Support the Black Sea Blue Growth Initiative to consolidate and update the SRIA, O2Develop the SRIA Implementation Plan, O3The establishment of an operational network for the Black Sea Region, O4Support the design and implementation of new transnational joint activities, O5Making the Black Sea visible through empowered Black Sea societies
The core contribution of the Black Sea CONNECT project will be to scientifically, technically and logistically support the Black Sea Blue Growth Initiative towards the implementation of the Burgas Vision Paper, with a view on boosting the Blue Economy in the region. The CSA will develop and promote a shared vision for a productive, healthy, resilient, sustainable and better valued Black Sea. The overall objective of the Action is to coordinate the development of the SRIA, based on the defined principles in the Burgas Vision Paper and support the development of the Blue Growth in the Black Sea. The SRIA and its Implementation Plan will guide stakeholders from academia, funding agencies, industry, policy and society to address together the fundamental Black Sea challenges, to promote blue growth and economic prosperity of the Black Sea region, to build critical support systems and innovative research infrastructure and to improve education and capacity building. The project will support the policy direction set in the Burgas Vision Paper and it will link stakeholders, relevant initiatives and institutions. The crosscutting issues of the project will be integrating policy, industry and research linking innovation to blue economy as well as promoting the alignment and convergence of national and international research and innovation activities and relevant initiatives and investments.
The objectives are as follows: O1Support the Black Sea Blue Growth Initiative to consolidate and update the SRIA, O2Develop the SRIA Implementation Plan, O3The establishment of an operational network for the Black Sea Region, O4Support the design and implementation of new transnational joint activities, O5Making the Black Sea visible through empowered Black Sea societies
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic that affected the Black Sea CONNECT Implementation from its 6th months onwards, the first 18 months of the project have been successful for Black Sea CONNECT CSA.
- The Black Sea Senior Officials Working Group for the implementation of the Black Sea Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (Black Sea WG-GSO) that has the mandate to steer the implementation of the Black Sea SRIA has been established and facilitated by the European Commission and supported by the Black Sea CONNECT CSA
- National Black Sea SRIA Consultations took place in all Black Sea countries reaching more than 600 distinct stakeholders. The outputs of the consultations constituted the first update of the Black Sea SRIA (D2.2)
- Black Sea Young Ambassador Programme has been added to the CSA's work plan and successfully launched and maintained in the first 18 months to further expand the outreach of the CSA and include the youth in the SRIA processes. Regular educational meetings on Young Ambassadors’ topics of interest were also initiated by the Coordination Team in the first implementation period. In the first 18 months, they have also started joining external meetings as representatives of the CSA and the Blue Growth Initiative as well as internal project-related meetings. Lastly, they applied and prepared to contribute to the Virtual Early Career Professionals Day under the kick-off of the United Nations Decade of Ocean with a pre-recorded video that highlights the uniqueness of the Black Sea and features the Young Ambassadors.
- A major European event was organized by the CSA and the Black Sea WG-GSO ‘‘Research and Innovation in the Black Sea: Empowering the next generation for a healthy, resilient, and productive Black Sea’’ on 29-30 October 2020. The event marked a major milestone in the Black Sea. It was a most important event reaching, where more than 232 people at the national, regional, and international levels. During this event, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Ms. Mariya Gabriel, launched the Black Sea Young Ambassadors’ Programme and expressed her firm support for their work in the Black Sea
- Important steps are taken for the joint actions in the first reporting period. Education JA is based on the Black Sea Young Ambassadors Programme and its activities. With the current developments regarding the global pandemic that happened within the first year of the Black Sea CONNECT CSA in 2020, JA on the ecosystem has been specified to focus on assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the Ecosystem in the Black Sea. As for Innovation JA, it has been decided that the joint action dedicated to Innovation is focused on marine plastic as it is a growing issue not only for the Black Sea but for all oceans and seas. Under this action, various activities will be undertaken.
- The Black Sea Senior Officials Working Group for the implementation of the Black Sea Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (Black Sea WG-GSO) that has the mandate to steer the implementation of the Black Sea SRIA has been established and facilitated by the European Commission and supported by the Black Sea CONNECT CSA
- National Black Sea SRIA Consultations took place in all Black Sea countries reaching more than 600 distinct stakeholders. The outputs of the consultations constituted the first update of the Black Sea SRIA (D2.2)
- Black Sea Young Ambassador Programme has been added to the CSA's work plan and successfully launched and maintained in the first 18 months to further expand the outreach of the CSA and include the youth in the SRIA processes. Regular educational meetings on Young Ambassadors’ topics of interest were also initiated by the Coordination Team in the first implementation period. In the first 18 months, they have also started joining external meetings as representatives of the CSA and the Blue Growth Initiative as well as internal project-related meetings. Lastly, they applied and prepared to contribute to the Virtual Early Career Professionals Day under the kick-off of the United Nations Decade of Ocean with a pre-recorded video that highlights the uniqueness of the Black Sea and features the Young Ambassadors.
- A major European event was organized by the CSA and the Black Sea WG-GSO ‘‘Research and Innovation in the Black Sea: Empowering the next generation for a healthy, resilient, and productive Black Sea’’ on 29-30 October 2020. The event marked a major milestone in the Black Sea. It was a most important event reaching, where more than 232 people at the national, regional, and international levels. During this event, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Ms. Mariya Gabriel, launched the Black Sea Young Ambassadors’ Programme and expressed her firm support for their work in the Black Sea
- Important steps are taken for the joint actions in the first reporting period. Education JA is based on the Black Sea Young Ambassadors Programme and its activities. With the current developments regarding the global pandemic that happened within the first year of the Black Sea CONNECT CSA in 2020, JA on the ecosystem has been specified to focus on assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the Ecosystem in the Black Sea. As for Innovation JA, it has been decided that the joint action dedicated to Innovation is focused on marine plastic as it is a growing issue not only for the Black Sea but for all oceans and seas. Under this action, various activities will be undertaken.
The overarching expected impact of Black Sea CONNECT is to pave the way for the implementation of major European blue-growth related policy initiatives and set an example for national-level policies for following the respective blue growth strategies. The outcomes of the first 18 months of the project set the first stones on this road. First and foremost, the Black Sea CONNECT CSA provided substantial coordination and alignment support between national and EU-level policies and raised awareness on these policies, which included the EU Blue Growth Strategy, Integrated Maritime Policy, Directives for MSP and MSFD, Circular Economy Strategy and Bioeconomy Strategy. To illustrate several examples, Black Sea CONNECT’s close links with the Common Maritime Agenda Steering Group for the Black Sea enabled direct support to both Blue Growth Strategy and the Integrated Maritime Strategy in the region. Black Sea CONNECT joint actions such as Marine Litter JA will support the strategy for Circular Economy. Black Sea CONNECT also adapted to the evolving policy context, for instance the Green Deal Strategy which was not on the table when the CSA started; but over the past year as the details of this strategy emerged Black Sea CONNECT included Green Deal objectives in its activities. Substantial support was also given to the development of the proposal for candidate Horizon Europe Partnership on Sustainable Blue Economy (SBE).