The transnational co-operation projects in shipbuilding and port management BLUESKILLING INNOVATION and HYDEA received today in Bordeaux, as part of the Atlantic Week agenda, the European Atlantic Project Award, recognised by the European Commission through the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE).
Each year, the European Atlantic Project Award honours exceptional initiatives, successful collaborations and achievements relevant to the implementation of the Atlantic 2.0 Action Plan on European territory. The Awards are organised by the Atlantic Strategy Committee, supported by the Atlantic Assistance Facility, an initiative of the European Commission, through the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE).
The BLUESKILLING INNOVATION project, led by the Spanish institution Foro Marítimo Vasco, won in the Blue Skills and Ocean Literacy category. Intending to promote good environmental practices on the part of companies working in the shipbuilding sector, the project's partners have been investing in training activities to make greater use of digital tools and to adopt new technologies that ensure clean energy. The project brings together a large research community from the European aquatic sector, including specialists in maritime and river transport, shipbuilding, ports and infrastructure and offshore energies. The activities being carried out are valued at 1.92 million euros and have been funded to the tune of 1.44 million euros by Interreg Atlantic Area.
The HYDEA project led by the Fundación Centro Texnolóxico de Eficiencia e Sostenibilidad de Eficiencia Energética, in Vigo, won in the Atlantic Ports and Blue Economy category. This partnership is committed to pilot projects for the integration of clean energies in the ports of Brest (France), Leixões (Portugal), Vigo and Seville (Spain), namely by boosting the use of hydrogen in maritime operations. This investment, which could be replicated in other ports, is valued at 3.43 million euros and is supported to the tune of 2.57 million euros by Interreg Atlantic Area.