The Directorate-General for Maritime Policy (DGPM), as programme operator of the EEA Grants Blue Growth Programme, together with the Secretary General of the Environment , as programme operator of the EEA Grants Environment Programme, organised the common event "Show cases for synergies between Environment and Blue Growth Programmes EEA Grants 2014-2021", dedicated to the Cooperation Committee Meetings and several visits to projects funded by both Programmes.
On the morning of 23rd of January, visits were focused on projects funded by the Blue Growth programme in the Lisbon region:
The FaroBoats Solar Set Solution project, by the promoter Faroboats, which aims to produce a vessel with a 100% electric motor that will have an associated solar-powered charging dock.
It was also visited the MarineSIM- Training for Maritime Courses Project, by the promoter ENIDH – Nautical School, which aims to strengthen the training capacity of this school through the acquisition of several maritime simulators.
The visits were attended by the Norwegian Ambassador in Portugal and her team, the Director-General and Deputy Director for Maritime Policy, the DGPM team, the Coordinator of the Environment Programme of the EEA Grants, the Coordinator of the National Focal Point of the EEA Grants and her team, representatives of the Programme Partners, Innovation Norway and the EEA Grants FMO.
The afternoon was followed by a working lunch and Cooperation Committee meetings at the Environment Programme Headquarters.
On Tuesday, 24th of January, the group continued its visits in Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia to visit three Environment Programme pilot projects: Asprela + Sustentável , Plano de Valorização e Reabilitação das Linhas de Água do Município do Porto and Afurada Living Lab.
These projects focus on the use of low-carbon technologies and natural engineering methods to regulate small rivers in the city of Porto in Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
On the last day, Wednesday 25th of January, the group visited two Blue Growth Programme projects in the Peniche region:
The MP-RAS project, by promoter SEAentia, which aims to minimise microplastic contamination (MP) in land-based meagre aquaculture (RAS).
The Board of the School of Tourism and Maritime Technology - Polytechnic of Leiria, welcomed the delegation in their facilities, followed by a networking lunch (based on sustainable fisheries products).
The last visit ended with the presentation at ESTM of the Peladrone project by the promoter Peniche Ocean Watch, which aims to implement a drone-based recognition solution to locate, track and capture pelagic fish more efficiently.
These visits demonstrated the great synergies between these two Programmes and all the potential to work together for a more sustainable future, in an environment of sharing and cooperation between all participants (the Norwegian Embassy in Lisbon, the partners from the Donor States, EEA and Norway Grants by Innovation Norway and Norges forskningsråd (Research Council of Norway), the EEA and Norway Grants, the National Focal Point of EEA Grants Portugal, the Secretary General of the Environment, operator of the EEA Grants Environment Programme and the Directorate-General for Maritime Policy, operator of the Blue Growth Programme.
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