This week, we had the honour of participating in the European Investment Bank (EIB) event : Boosting Blue Tech and Blue Innovation in Greece. The discussions were rich, insightful, maintaining Greece’s position as an EU leader for blue technologies and innovation, and shipping decarbonisation.

Dr. Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, Member of the Hellenic Parliament, Chair of the Environment Committee, Greek Prime minister’ Special Envoy for the Ocean, outlined Greece’s significant commitments:

🔹 Safeguarding 30% of land and sea by 2030
🔹 Eliminating bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas by 2030
🔹 Being oat the forefront of global shipping decarbonisation
🔹 Reducing plastic litter by 50% and microplastics by 30% by 2030
🔹 Maintaining Greece’s position as 4th in the EU for renewable energy

Dr. Avgerinopoulou also proposed a visionary Blue Tech Catalyst fund, aimed at uniting the EU, EIB, and Greece to accelerate shipping decarbonisation for a sustainable ocean.

Manolis Koutoulakis, Secretary General of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, emphasized the importance of Greece’s island territories in the development of Blue Tech initiatives:
🔹 Highlighting their crucial role in fostering innovation
🔹 Positioning Greek islands as real-world laboratories for cutting-edge in-situ tools
🔹 Advocating for the establishment of a National Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC).

During the event, Laurence Crosnier, Director of Markets and Services at Mercator Ocean International, showcased our digital ocean systems and services. She emphasized how the Copernicus Marine Service empowers sustainable blue economy stakeholders with evidence-based decision-making tools.

Laurence underscored the vital role of in-situ observation data in the Mediterranean Sea, highlighting the potential synergy between emerging Greek blue technologies and the global Copernicus system. This collaboration could soon enhance our understanding of the Mediterranean marine environment through valuable in-situ observations, creating a virtuous loop of innovation and improved ocean monitoring capabilities.

As Mercator Ocean International transitions into an intergovernmental organization (IGO), we are eager to explore future collaborations with Greece. Together, we can advance ocean science and promote sustainable blue economy initiatives that benefit both people and ecosystems.

We look forward to supporting Greece’s leadership in turning these ambitious goals into reality !