SUST-BLACK Conference

Euro-Argo attended the SUST-Black Conference, bringing together representatives from the marine and maritime sector from regional organizations, universities, researchers and non-governmental organisations sector.

Organized jointly by the Romanian Presidency of the European Union, the European Commission and the GeoEcoMar institute, the conference attendees were welcomed by Mr. Nicolae Hurduc, Minister for Research and Innovation of Romania and several distinguished speakers who expressed their interest for a continuous collaborative effort including all the regional and abroad forces for a sustainable development at the Black Sea.

Participants had the opportunity to present their respective activities and exchange ideas and proposals on how to further develop cooperation in the research and innovation sector in the Black Sea. In that scope, Grigor Obolensky (Euro-Argo ERIC) came back on the history of the Argo programme in the Black Sea, emphasizing the past and existing collaborations between the European countries and the Black Sea riparian ones.

Euro-Argo in the Black Sea

During a panel discussion devoted to the Research Infrastructures acting for the knowledge of marine environment in the Black Sea, Grigor Obolensky expressed the willingness of Euro-Argo ERIC to enhance the regional network for Argo with a larger participation of bordering countries, taking into account that half of the waters are included in non-EU national EEZ; Benefitting of the support of Bulgaria – newly approved member of the Euro-Argo ERIC, Grigor advertised on the future Black-Sea research and political event which will be organised in the frame of the Euro-Argo RISE Horizon 2020 project in 2021.

During fruitful side discussions, contacts with delegates from Turkey, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia have also been established for further collaborations for floats deployments and scientific use of the network’s data. A special attention has been raised on the potential across-RI activities with EMSO Eric on the coastal shelf off the Danubius river.

The conferenced closed on the “Bucharest declaration on the Black Sea Research and Innovation Agenda”, addressing the Blue Growth vision for the expansion of technology and science in the Black Sea including the research challenges, the development of products towards the citizens, the building of innovative research infrastructures and the extensions to Educative world.