Centre of Excellence in Ocean Research and Engineering

The INESCTEC.OCEAN project will create a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Ocean Research and Engineering (OR&E) in Portugal. Synergistically addressing Marine Structures, Marine Robotics, Ocean Energy, and Ocean Data domains while developing R&D excellence from deep-sea to earth and space interactions, with a new knowledge transfer culture, and expanding innovation frontiers. This CoE will fulfil the increasing technology and scientific needs of emerging markets in a broad set of “blue” and “green” economy applications, such as Offshore Renewable Energies, offshore aquaculture, shipping and fisheries, deep marine resources exploration and bioprospection, among other marine and maritime emerging and established sectors. This new CoE, anchored in INESC TEC scientific and technological expertise in research lines in the Sea domain will achieve full government, decision-making and financial autonomy after the six years Teaming project with the mentoring of SINTEF OCEAN (SINTEF), the main R&D entity in Norway dedicated to ocean challenges, as an Advanced Partner. This will also strengthen the ties between the two country’s ecosystems in a clear win-win situation. INESCTEC.OCEAN includes as partners Fórum Oceano (FO), the Portuguese cluster in Blue Economy that gathers the actual quadruple-helix ecosystem in Portugal and has relations with all the main Blue Economy clusters in EU, and APDL Port of Leixões and Viana do Castelo, Portugal’s northern region port authority and one of the most disruptive companies in the country. Ocean Energy will be the CoE first priority. The existing energy context and the zero-carbon strategy place Renewable Energy production amidst the most relevant priorities for EU growth and social stability. INESCTEC.OCEAN will be the Western EU centre for EU Offshore Renewable Energy with the capacity to explore these emerging opportunities while partnering with other leading entities. INESC TEC is also leading three unique complementary infrastructures in Portugal supporting the development and testing of offshore renewable energy systems, aquaculture structures, marine robotics, among other offshore systems (1- Blue Hub in Leixões - an ocean basin; 2- Companhia de Energia Oceanica - CEO in Aguçadoura - an Offshore Renewable Energy test site; 3- TEC4SEA Infrastructure - for test and validation of technologies in ocean environment). The National Research Funding Agency (FCT) and the Portuguese Government will ensure +16M€ as complementary funding for the Teaming project, for infrastructures, R&D+I projects, 5 Corporate Chairs, advanced training and PhD programs, leveraging the attraction of qualified human resources. The CoE will boost the Blue Economy and foster innovation and technology transfer, reinforcing networking among academia, ocean R&D+I communities and industries, promoting the engagement of stakeholders in the field of sea technology as a global partnership.