President of FCT met with Executive Director of JPI Oceans

The Chair of the FCT Governing Board, Madalena Alves, and the Executive Director of JPI Oceans, Thorsten Kiefer, met on March 24 to discuss national participation in the various implementation instruments (Joint Actions) of JPI Oceans – Joint Programming Initiative, Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans.

During the meeting, topics discussed included knowledge hubs, joint Calls , and the sharing of research infrastructure, such as access to research vessels for the implementation of joint European activities that enable the implementation of the JPI Oceans Research and Innovation Strategy. Mention was also made of the relevant and fruitful collaboration between the FCT and the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and the Atmosphere, I. P. (IPMA) in monitoring national involvement in this joint programming initiative, the only one of the 10 existing ones with an established legal structure, which allows Portugal to make an active contribution to the activities of JPI Oceans, with a significant benefit for the national scientific community and society in general. Taking into account the current changes in the European Research Area, namely with the implementation of the European Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership and the European Restore our Ocean and Waters Mission, the relevance of JPI Oceans in the current European Union Framework Program was also discussed.

As the next edition of the Science Meeting 2023 will focus on the theme "Ocean and Waters: Enhancing the Contribution of Science," the President of FCT also took the opportunity to invite the Executive Director of JPI Oceans to attend the next national science meeting in Portugal, which will take place on July 5, 6, and 7, 2023, at the Santiago University Campus, University of Aveiro.

JPI Oceans, created in 2011, is a platform for strategic coordination and integration at the political level, rather than purely scientific, open to all EU member states and associated countries that invest in marine and maritime research. Currently, this initiative includes 20 countries, covering all European ocean basins. Portugal has participated in JPI Oceans since its foundation, through the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Higher Education, with national delegates from FCT and IPMA, entities with expertise in the areas of science and technology funding and ocean science, respectively.