18 April 2012, Brussels

Advanced technologies will be essential for a truly sustainable management of our seas and oceans and achievement of Good Environmental Status (GES) in European marine waters. However, “transformative technologies” can go even further by changing the way people and societies undertake fundamental functions (maintain health, communicate, access energy and nutrition etc).

The 3rd Marine Board Forum is designed to examine future or emerging “Blue Technologies”. In this case, blue technologies are those technologies which will either be used in, or drawn from, the seas and oceans and which should have the potential to make a significant contribution either to marine science itself or to society. The Forum will bring together policymakers, researchers and technology developers to discuss not only key blue technologies but also the way these technologies can be achieved.

The Forum will address the following questions:

What blue technologies can we expect in the future?

What impacts might they have on both science and society?

What training, knowledge transfer and funding support is necessary to fast-track their development?

The Forum will feature case studies and "flash” presentations - to showcase developing or future technologies which may have a significant scientific or societal impact. In the afternoon the participants will discuss best practice in innovation support and knowledge transfer.