JERICO-RI hosted Booth 29 and participated in a number of sessions at the European Maritime Day, 24th – 25th May 2023, Brest, France. The focus of the event was on issues related to the blue economy, the marine environment, and discussions on future advancements. This was addressed by a wide range of speakers through thematic sessions, stakeholder workshops, and project pitch sessions.
The need for long-term coastal observations and the JERICO-RI featured in several sessions. Key speakers highlighted the importance of coastal observations in meeting the EU blue economy and future advancement objectives. François Houllier (Président-directeur général, IFREMER) discussed the blue economy and the role of ocean observations during his speech in the high-level panel session on “Innovation in the Blue Economy“.
Lucie Cocquempot (Coordination de l’observation océanographique, IFREMER) explained the role of the JERICO-RI in the creation and coordination of a global coastal ocean network with transatlantic countries. Lucie was an invited speaker for session #23: “Sustainable ocean observation- from open sea to coast: shared responsibilities“.
The JERICO-RI booth, manned by Laurent Delauney (JERICO-RI Scientific Coordinator, IFREMER) and Léa Godiveau (JERICO-S3 Project Manager, IFREMER), provided an interactive forum for business professionals, governments, NGOs, public institutions, and researches and students to discover more about the JERICO-RI and the importance of long-term coastal observing systems in Europe.
The JERICO-RI team engaged with a variety of end-users and stakeholders during the 2-day event. These included sensor companies, pitch event organisers and technology businesses (e.g. Seaber, Ocean Race and Euromaritime) and other related EU projects and initiatives (e.g. DOORS, EuroARGO, Coastal EGIM, EuroGOOS). In addition, there was much of interest and engagement from students and early career scientists.