Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Black Sea CONNECT (Coordination of Marine and Maritime Research and Innovation in the Black Sea)
Berichtszeitraum: 2019-10-01 bis 2021-03-31
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 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.