AQUARIUS colleagues, Oonagh McMeel and Maria Angel (Seascape Belgium), participated in the 5th EU Macro-Regional Sea Basin Strategy Days Conference held in Brussels on 12 and 13 June 2024, co-organised by the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE). This event was an opportunity to connect with stakeholders across the regions encompassed by the seven strategies (Alpine, Danube, Adriatic-Ionian, Baltic Sea, Atlantic, Western Mediterranean and Black Sea).
The event focused on different themes of relevance to the seven strategies, with the main aim being to exchange knowledge, network, create new synergies and reinforce old ones.
On 12 and 13 June 2024, at THE EGG (Brussels, Belgium), the seven strategies (Alpine, Danube, Adriatic-Ionian, Baltic Sea, Atlantic, Western Mediterranean and Black Sea) encountered each other during the two-day event. The event served as a communication and networking platform, enhancing coordination among participating countries, pillars coordinators, stakeholders, presidencies and representatives of the EU institutions.
Five parallel interactive workshops took place, on: Enlargement, Climate Change, Clusters and Innovation, Embedding, and Civil Societies Engagement. AQUARIUS colleagues joined the ‘Clusters and Innovation’, and ‘Civil Societies Engagement’ workshops respectively. There was an opportunity in the ‘Clusters and Innovation’ workshop to introduce AQUARIUS and share the AQUARIUS infographic, highlighting the regional spread of AQUARIUS research infrastructures and the upcoming Calls for Transnational Access.
The conference also underscored European support for Ukraine, showcasing tangible forms of assistance amidst ongoing challenges. The overarching message of the event was clear: improving governance and fostering cooperative efforts are essential to tackling the pressing issues of our time. By working together, countries can create a more resilient and sustainable future for all.
AQUARIUS advances these goals through promoting collaboration and providing scientists from academia, industry, and civil society with transnational access to diverse research infrastructures, advancing pan-European research and innovation for healthier marine and freshwater ecosystems.
