Organised for the first time in 2024, European Ocean Days will be a week of events related to European maritime topics.
It will cover, on separate days over the week, the EU Mission Ocean and Waters, future priorities for Europe’s Seas, blue innovation and investment opportunities, as well as ocean literacy activities.
Join us for:
- the Mission Restore our Ocean & Waters Forum on Tuesday 5 March 2024 combined with a matchmaking event on Monday, 4 March 2024
- the event Where next for Europe's Seas? on Wednesday, 6 March 2024
- the BlueInvest Day on Thursday, 7 March 2024
- Ocean Literacy in Action on Friday, 8 March 2024.
What to expect:
- Day 1 - Matchmaking event: This event (upon invitation only) will be held back-to-back with the Mission Restore our Ocean And Waters Forum. This event will be an opportunity to network with EU Mission projects, Charter signatories and philanthropists, Foundation etc...
- Day 2 - 2nd Annual Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters Forum: The aim of this recurrent event is the stocktaking of the year that passed and mobilising a wide range of stakeholders to deploy solutions and facilitate their upscaling towards the restoration of our waters. The expected outcome is showcasing innovative solutions developed under the Mission, discuss how key stakeholders, such as the regions, local authorities and the private sectors are involved in implementing the Mission and how different streams of finance are being mobilised to support the scaling and deployment of solutions for reaching the Mission objectives: to protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, boost coastal resilience, eliminate pollution, and make the blue economy climate-neutral and circular.
- Day 3 - Where next for Europe’s Seas?: The aim of this specific event is to contribute to Europe’s reflections on what future priorities might be for Europe’s Seas. Discussions would consider not only policy needs, but also the wider economic, technological and social transformations that are occurring within Europe and beyond. In essence, the question to be addressed is: What, in this wider, evolving future landscape, might be the pathways for Europe’s Seas, with a perspective to 2050?
- Day 4 - BlueInvest Day: This annual event is designed to catalyse investment and innovation initiatives within the Blue Economy, promoting sustainability and transformative impact across industries. Participants will discuss how to increase the market uptake for innovative ocean technologies, make smart investment decisions and scale financing for a sustainable blue economy. In addition to a pitch competition for the prestigious BlueInvest Awards, the event will feature inspiring speakers, networking opportunities and the new edition of the BlueInvest Investor Report, a comprehensive resource providing a roadmap for strategic investment in the Blue Economy. We invite you to be a part of this gathering of visionaries, entrepreneurs and investors committed to fostering innovation and sustainability in the EU Blue Economy.
- Day 5 - Ocean Literacy in Action: This event aims to contribute to improved public knowledge about the ocean. It will bring visibility to the collective achievements of the three communities of the EU4Ocean (platform, youth forum and network of blue schools) as well as international initiatives on ocean literacy (with IOC-UNESCO). It will also showcase the importance of ocean literacy in Europe and beyond, including its role in supporting sustainable blue businesses, and R&I/Mission Ocean projects. This event will contribute to the International Women’s Day, illustrating women’s role in ocean science, art and education.
Please note that all events are fully booked. You can still find the livestream links of the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters Forum and BlueInvest Day at the relevant websites below.
Side events:
- 2nd Blue Parks Community workshop on Tuesday, 7 March 2024
The 2nd Blue Parks Community workshop will be a back-to-back event of the Mission Forum during the European Ocean Days with physical attendance at the Square (Mont des Arts), Brussels. The aim of this workshop is dive deeper into effective management of EU marine protected areas, as well as coastal zones and the land-sea interface of protected areas, marine and freshwater biodiversity. From research and innovation to policy developments, the workshop will include participants with practical insights through case studies from EU Member States, regional, and local stakeholders.
Registration is now closed