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An historic event took place at the Marine Institute in Galway on Friday 23rd September when two EU Commissioners - Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn and Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki - visited the facility to discuss key policy areas and priorities in marine science and innovation.
The Commissioners were also presented with framed copies of the 2004 ‘Galway Declaration’ – the milestone European document which inspired the European Integrated Marine Policy and which was endorsed by over 500 leading marine scientists, policy makers and representatives of the marine sector in Galway during Ireland’s last Presidency of the European Union.
During their visit the Commissioners met with staff and management for detailed briefings on how the iInstitute’s research and services complement and assist such EU initiatives as the Common Fisheries Policy, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the 7th Framework Programme and the Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union.
They also learned about how Ireland’s initiatives to harness marine science, innovation and ‘smart’ technology to create jobs and generate knowledge-based products and services to underpin sustainable economic growth are consistent with the objectives of the emerging European strategy on research called Horizon 2020 and the Integrated Maritime Policy’s Atlantic Strategy.
In presenting the Commissioners with their copies of the Galway Declaration, Marine Institute Chief Executive Dr Peter Heffernan said that since 2004 Ireland had developed into a key player in European marine science and innovation, both in terms of practical research and in strategic planning.
“The ‘Galway Declaration’ was an influential achievement of the last Irish Presidency,” said Dr Heffernan. “It inspired the EU Integrated Maritime Policy as well as the EU Marine Research Strategy which are extremely important to Ireland’s quest to harness our marine resources as a thriving sustainable economic growth engine. And since the new EU research plan Horizon 2020 and the EU Atlantic Strategy are likely to come to final decision during Ireland’s next European Presidency in 2013, this visit is an excellent opportunity to exchange views and explore areas of mutual interest.”
The Commissioners toured some of the institute’s 54 custom-built laboratories to see its vital service work on marine environmental monitoring, marine food safety and fish stock assessment. The Commissioners also viewed demonstrations of seabed mapping, biodiscovery, climate change research and the cutting-edge work on the SmartBay and SmartOcean marine technology platforms.
A detailed briefing was given to the Commissioners on the institute’s plans to harness technology in the creation of employment and economic growth from Ireland’s marine sector as national and international innovations through research into ocean energy, the development of new medicines and functional foods from marine animals and plants, offshore aquaculture, underwater robotics and the application of advanced information technologies to marine communications and monitoring in science-industry consortia such as SmartBay and SmartOcean.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine Simon Coveney TD said: “I am delighted to host Commissioners Damanaki and Geoghegan-Quinn on their visit to the Marine Institute. The outstanding international reputation of the Marine Institute and the excellent quality of the vital national scientific services it provides are a credit to the Board and to the staff. Science and innovation will be at the heart of intensive Irish and European efforts to generate ‘Blue Growth’ - where our maritime resources become an engine of sustainable economic growth and recovery.”
Following this briefing Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn travelled into Galway City to open the public science event Sea2Sky, celebrating the cutting-edge research that scientific institutions in Galway are undertaking into both ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ space. On display at the event was the Marine Institute’s robot submarine, the ROV Holland 1, which has just completed a groundbreaking mission to deepwater hydrothermal vents along the mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Damanaki remained at the Marine Institute to meet with leading Irish multinationals and SMEs who are participants in the SmartOcean Cluster where the companies outlined how their innovations and technologies can contribute to the “Blue Growth” and environmental stewardship objectives of the Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union.
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