ThinkInAzul

The ThinkInAzul programme is a joint strategy for research and innovation in marine science in Spain that has been co-funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the government of Spain (through Next Generation European Funds) and by the participating regions. The main objective is to sustainably address emerging challenges in Marine-Maritime Monitoring and in Marine-Marine Monitoring and Observation, Climate Change, Aquaculture and other Blue Economy sectors.
The Marine Sciences programme brings together 7 regions in Spain (Andalusia, Cantabria, Valencia, Galicia, Murcia, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands), with the aim of integrating and promoting all marine research in these regions and with the general objective of creating a network of centres of excellence to cooperatively address challenges in marine research, aquaculture, new technologies, impacts on the marine environment and the blue economy. The regions implement an individual plan within the strategy, adapted to their needs, and cooperate on actions of mutual interest.

The programme will involve collaboration between the main research and innovation actors located in these regions, including relevant multidisciplinary competences related to marine science, marine technology development, digitisation, and environmental education.

In this sense, ThinkInAzul will develop a research, innovation and transfer network that will allow the integration and development of three basic lines of action and with the following objectives:

(1) Marine and coastal environment observation and ecosystem monitoring: with the aim of developing new technologies data and sample acquisition in situ, as well as their digitalization to allow the observation and monitoring of the marine and coastal environment in order to assess and mitigate anthropogenic impact, aiming at a goog environmental status to ensure the sustainability of natural resources and to understand the role of climate change;

(2) Sustainable, Intelligent and Precision Aquaculture; with the aim of increasing production efficiency and sustainability and the traceability, quality and food safety of products.

(3) Blue Economy: Innovation and Opportunities with the aim of promoting innovation and sustainability in economic sectors linked to the sea, the promotion of emerging lines of research and encourage the participation of society in awareness-raising activities.