The University Institute of Aquaculture and Sustainable Marine Ecosystems (ECOAQUA), attached to the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, received today a visit from representatives of the nine outermost regions participating in the Horizon 2020 FORWARD project, led by the Canary Islands through the Canarian Agency for Research, Innovation and Information Society (ACIISI).
ECOAQUA has been selected for its scientific quality and its know-how in marine issues as one of the leading centers that will integrate a research network with different researchers from Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Martinique, Saint Martin, Reunion Island, Mayotte, Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands participating.
This programme, with a budget of more than 4 million euros for its development, will also involve other Canary partners, in addition to ECOAQUA and ACIISI, such as the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands, PLOCAN, Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute and the University of La Laguna.
The nine outermost regions, through their main research and innovation agencies, together with various research centers, will work in consortium with the aim to achieve the leading role in R+D+I in those fields of specialization where they have proved to be experts. In this sense, training, exchange and best practices actions will be carried out for all the research staff of the public and private centers in the participating regions.
The representatives of the 24 partners who will develop the project will meet at the Elder Museum in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from 12 February in a joint meeting that will close tomorrow, 15 February, with the aim to initiate the planning of activities to be carried out and to distribute tasks and responsibilities.
During these days the representatives of the outermost regions will visit the facilities of the centers located on the island of Gran Canaria, in some cases for a first contact on the lines of research they are developing, as is the case of ECOAQUA, or in other cases to deepen joint actions.