PLOCAN, partner in the COLUMBUS project, is leading the organization of a brokerage event on 23 November 2017, alongside several other COLUMBUS partners including Seascape Consultants, EuroGOOS, and Aquatera, as well as related initiative EMODnet. The event will take place during the AtlantOS General Assembly, Gran Canaria, Spain. The goal of this event is to facilitate brokerage and foster partnerships between representatives of national marine observations and data programmes in Europe and across the Atlantic, and sensor developers who have generated new technologies through their participation in EU-funded projects.

New technologies and innovations in sensor development funded through the EU framework programmes will be presented and discussed to aid knowledge transfer and foster collaboration among marine and maritime stakeholders, including publicly-funded organizations and SMEs. Participants will include:

• - European companies, focused on maritime sensing technologies and/or observing platforms that have recently participated in the development of new sensors, with the support of the European Commission-funded research and innovation projects;
• - Expert companies and institutions in marine sensor interoperability, data collection and transmission, and data sharing and use that will provide innovative cutting-edge solutions mostly developed with the support of the European Commission in the framework of research and innovation projects;
• - Many of their potential users, including AtlantOS partners, representing the European oceanographic and ocean

The Horizon2020 COLUMBUS project aims to ensure that applicable knowledge generated through EU-funded projects can be transferred effectively to marine and maritime sectors. To capitalise on the European Commission’s investment in research COLUMBUS is investigating the accessibility and uptake of research outputs by end-users (policy, industry, science and wider society) and will help ensure that measurable value is derived from research investments contributing to sustainable Blue Growth.

Science and technology have a vital role to play preserving the marine environment as well as supporting the European Blue Growth strategy to enhance the economic potential of our seas and oceans. This is a key component of the Europe 2020 goal of smart, inclusive and sustainable growth for Europe.The Europe 2020 Innovation Union initiative (2010) states: “We need to get more innovation out of our research”.

Please click here for the Brokerage Event Programme. 

To register interest for the brokerage event please contact Ayoze Castro at ayoze.castro@plocan.eu.

For specific information on the COLUMBUS project, contact the COLUMBUS Project Manager Cliona Ní Cheallacháin (cliona@aquatt.ie) and visit the project website (www.columbusproject.eu). 

The ongoing Horizon 2020 initiative COLUMBUS is pioneering a new technique to better understand how to optimise the use of knowledge derived from research. Through the COLUMBUS project’s process of identification of Knowledge Outputs (KOs), and the development of Knowledge Transfer plans to facilitate the increase of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) to bring this knowledge to market, COLUMBUS partners organised a special event at European Aquaculture Society’s Aquaculture Europe 2017 (AE2017) conference on 18 October 2017, Dubrovnik, to present several aquaculture case studies that are currently going through the process.

Case studies were presented which consisted of innovative knowledge being effectively transferred and applied with measurable impact. These presentations were broad and varied, examples include:

• A sensor whose technology originated from the oceanographic sector, where it was used to measure ice-melt but was now finding new applications in waste water, drinking water and Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS).
• An app, called Fish Shape, whose unique selling point lies in the opportunity to pick up the onset of juvenile fish malformations before they become visible.

Following the presentations, an open forum was held and moderated by COLUMBUS partner and owner of AQUARK, Panos Christofilogiannis. As well as identifying end-users and ‘knowledge amplifiers’ for the knowledge that was presented, and discussing important related subjects such as intellectual property, the attendees also brainstormed on new ideas and projects.

In total, the half-day workshop attracted around 60 participants from ten countries, representing a fair cross-section of the stakeholder participation of AE2017.

In addition, COLUMBUS partners and Knowledge Transfer experts were also present at the COLUMBUS Brokerage Stand during the rest of the conference to allow interested parties to set up individual meetings to review their project and its potential. For those wishing to go further, this would be the start of a process towards impact, and a relationship with COLUMBUS, that could include: mentorship in the protection of intellectual property; development of a business plan; identification of end-users and development partners; and, assessment of appropriate channels to market.

Over the years, Aquaculture Europe has developed into an event to share and communicate the latest scientific research and attracts a dynamic and multi-disciplinary audience. AE2017 attracted a total participation of 1700 from more than 60 countries, with 92 exhibitors present at the trade show. Following the success of COLUMBUS’ Brokerage Event, the European Aquaculture Society has decided to adopt brokerage events as an integral part of its Aquaculture Europe events – to stimulate knowledge transfer between researchers and exhibitors, to mentor students and to develop B2B contacts between companies in attendance.

For more information on COLUMBUS, please contact the Project Manager, Cliona Ní Cheallacháin, AquaTT, at cliona@aquatt.ie.

On 13 July 2017, Atlantic Ocean stakeholders from science and policy gathered in Lisbon to witness history unfold as the Belém Statement was signed, launching a strategic alliance between the European Union, Brazil and South Africa. In celebration, and to stimulate new collaborations and knowledge sharing, a high-level ministerial and scientific event entitled “A New Era of Blue Enlightenment” was organised in parallel to this event from 12-14 July 2017. Key cooperation areas were outlined as: Climate variability; Food security, fisheries management, aquaculture and biodiversity; The effects of emerging pollutants; Ocean observation (including seabed mapping), forecasting and monitoring processes and systems; Oceans technology (including for observation and renewable marine energy); and, Polar research (especially interconnections between the Atlantic, the Southern Ocean and Antarctica). 

The event comprised a "Project and Ideas Meeting Place", as well as keynote speeches and roundtable discussions. AquaTT and EurOcean hosted the workshop “H2020 COLUMBUS Project – Knowledge Transfer for Blue Growth”.

The COLUMBUS session looked to highlight how focused effort can stimulate impact from existing research and innovations in the marine and maritime sector, presenting case studies of interest to audiences representing the Atlantic Ocean. The scene was set by David Murphy (AquaTT) and Ned Dwyer (EurOcean), and three case studies of Knowledge Transfer were presented by Georgia Bayliss-Brown (AquaTT). The session closed having gathered insights from attendees on the need to build capacity in methodologies to maximise impact from research investment in the South Atlantic and expressing the potential for Knowledge Transfer between Europe and the South Atlantic. A brief meeting report has been submitted to the European Commission for publication. 

For more information on COLUMBUS, please contact the Project Manager, Cliona Ní Cheallacháin, AquaTT, at cliona@aquatt.ie.

The Belém Tower and venue for the signing of the Belém Statement (Image: Planetware)

Organised by AquaTT, EurOcean and Marine South East, COLUMBUS hosted a workshop entitled “Marine Knowledge Transfer & Innovation: Learning from Regional & European Initiatives” on 17 May 2017 at the National Oceanography Centre’s facility in Southampton.

COLUMBUS aims to measurably increase the uptake and application of outputs arising from publicly-funded marine research projects by different end-users, specifically industry and policy makers. It is therefore in COLUMBUS’ interest to become familiar with local and regional examples of best practice and propose recommendations to the European Commission to better enable Knowledge Transfer and innovation within the marine and maritime sector.

Held as a side event of European Maritime Day, the workshop brought together a range of stakeholders to a) examine good practice and progress arising from recent initiatives at a regional and European level; b) identify where barriers have been overcome and whether efforts can be replicated; and, c) brainstorm on ideas as to how to overcome challenges and barriers in the future.

Welcoming participants from policy, consultancy firms, regional clusters, SMEs and large companies, the scene was set by AquaTT and Marine South East, with Cornwall Marine Network invited to present their experiences. Discussions were lively and a number of barriers to impact were identified and solutions proposed. A detailed summary is available through the project website, but key recommendations to funding agencies are:

• Projects should have champions for collection and transfer of their outputs, either within the consortium or through an external provider;
• Impact beyond current metrics of research quality (ie scientific publications) must be recognised and incentivised;
• Support the development of knowledge broker organisations to ensure that impact potential of research is achieved;
• Investment should be made to improve access to Knowledge Outputs from marine projects; and
• Regional clusters can provide an opportunity to support Knowledge Transfer.

For more information on COLUMBUS, please contact the Project Manager, Cliona Ní Cheallacháin, AquaTT, at cliona@aquatt.ie.

Staff from Nausicaá and AquaTT disseminating information about the COLUMBUS project at European Maritime Day