Blue-Growth. Strategy in Innovation

In Andalusia, with a coastline of nearly 1000 km, the marine and maritime sectors which are part of the Blue Growth are essential for its development. Therefore, the strategies for growth and development for the geographic area CEI·MAR are aligned with those from the European Commission (EC) as stated in the Communication From The Commission To The European Parliament, The Council, The European Economic And Social Committee And The Committee Of The Regions on 13th September 2012.

In said communiqué, the EC presents promising indications about the economic growth and its employment prospects in the marine and maritime economy to contribute to the economic recuperation in Europe.

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The Blue Growth is notably important in Andalusia, where the companies which made part of blue growth, the tradition of the sectors, its scientific and technological capacities, the existence of the Sea Campus of International Excellence and specially its location represent unique strategic assets.

CEI·MAR, guided by its vocation to serve the society, is very proactive collaborating with the Administration, public bodies and entities. This proactivity has encouraged CEI·MAR to set up the Platform for Blue Growth from where, under the leadership of the Campus, the Blue Economy document for Andalusia was elaborated. This document was presented by the president of the Directing Committee for the Strategy in Research and Innovation for the Intelligent Specialization of Andalusia (RIS3 Andalusia), November 26th 2013.

As a result of this work and of the technical meetings that followed, the main lines of the 29 opportunities in innovation were added to the final documents in the RIS3 Andalucía where the concept of Blue Growth was incorporated in the vision and priorities as well as in the rest of documents that are part of the Strategy of Intelligent Specialization in our region and the subsequent documents where it is developed, such as the Operative Program FEDER 2014-2020 or the PAIDI 2020.

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The Blue Growth in Andalusia, document elaborated by CEI·MAR, together with another 22 entities (big industry, SMEs, business associations and technological centers in Andalusia, related to the marine, maritime business activity) defines the strategy of innovation of the Sea Campus of International Excellence. This document identifies the assets and future opportunities of growth for a more intelligent, sustainable and inclusive productive system, linked to the sea.

The interest of CEI·MAR englobes the whole marine and maritime activity, putting special emphasis on six epigraphs: 1. Port Logistics and shipping transport. 2. Resources linked to the sea. 3. Shipping Industry/Offshore. 4. Marine Renewal Energies. 5. Tourism related to the sea. 6. Scientific-Technological and Transfer Capacities. CEI·MAR. The assets and new growth opportunities gather around this six issues aiming to compile the information and make it more accessible. Obviously, the interest of the chain of values, in terms of the gross added value and employment (taking in consideration the activities above mentioned) has a relevant correspondence with the productive sectors listed.

The activities determined in terms of innovative opportunities were:

Competitiveness of the global logistic chain

Energetic Efficiency and Physical means.

Optimization of the port exploitation

Planning, Design, Construction and Conservation of the Port Infrastructures.

Technologies and systems to identify the port reality

Consolidation of the region as the main axis in the transport of containers in the Mediterranean and West Europe area.

To become a more competitive quality region by means of the best and highest standards in safety at work.

Valorization of the product in aquaculture by means of application of new conservation technologies, use of brands and other quality certification, adhesion to the EMAS, etc.

Implantation of new cultivation systems: multi-trophic, aquaponics, organic aquaculture, etc.

Implementation of alternative sources of energy and optimization of the energetic efficiency used in production cycles.

Modernization of the cultivation systems used by the intensification of the production: improvement of the recirculation systems.

Using new technologies TICs in the whole chain value of the products to enhance a more efficient management of the whole process: from production to the consumer.

Developing a center of specialization of high technological level to support the aquaculture sector to a regional, national and international level.

Adopting new systems for preventing infectious diseases in the aquaculture sector.

Exploiting the marshes to build a salina (salt pan) and diversifying its uses to enhance aquaculture, ecotourism and conservation.

Low-cost integrated control, navigation and communications systems.

Integration center of complex systems.

Low consumption and high added value vessels

Intelligent vessels

Adjust shipbuilding processes

Transport vessels and offshore structures for petrol and gas.

Composites, mixed structured and stable materials in marine environments

Offshore installations and devices for the exploitation of the marine energy.

Tourism and Health

Innovation Social Program of technological base

Sport tourism linked to the sea

Gastronomic marine tourism

Cruise and leisure tourism

Marine ecotourism

All of them, represent large scope in innovation in the whole associated chain value, which in turn, have established multiple areas of actions in multidisciplinary and institutional groups within the aggregation of CEI·MAR to promote a research that meets the needs of society and that serve as driving force of the Blue Growth entrepreneurial innovation in our geographic area of influence.

For CEI·MAR is important to organize, give shape and develop actions for the clusters working in the large fields of research and transfer representing a major strength for the Campus at an international level and in those emerging lines of research that can meet the needs in the future decades.

CEI·MAR has been actively involved in the implementation of important innovation projects with a strong driving force in the territory. It is worth mentioning, as an example of the progressive implementation of the Shipping Industry 4.0, the development of a Robotized welding; the use of additive manufacturing in the construction of vessels together with NAVANTIA; the design of innovative projects in intelligent tourism with TELEFONICA which they will have a big impact in the economic growth of the local businesses in those cities receiving cruise tourism; in the area of smart management of ports, we have undertaken European projects of great scope with the Port of Seville and other entities; In aquaculture, we have created, together with the company ESTEROS DE CANELA in Huelva and CTAQUA: The Technological Center for Aquaculture in Andalusia, a fresh-cut range of food products giving value to the fish discards

Thus, CEI·MAR has become an essential instrument for the development of the marine-maritime economy within our territory of influence as well as for the progress of society by encouraging and supporting business innovation and land development.

From a sequential perspective of the work done, in the beginning we identified the different groups levels within the aggregation CEI·MAR and later we connected the technological capacities of this aggregation with the innovation needs of the companies, enabling us to establish new and strong synergies which boost the Science-Technology-Business system. With this purpose, we have leaded several groups with companies or Scientific-Entrepreneurial Clusters, we have determined the innovation opportunities to enhance the Blue Growth in Andalusia. We have also drawn up the definition of Blue Economy in the Innovation Strategy document for Andalusia 2020, the definition of specific innovation entrepreneurial projects. We have created institutional and interdisciplinary research groups (in large productive areas) to establish, in unison with the companies and the Administration, the main research lines to promote and support business innovation and to provide solutions to the challenges of society.

Therefore, with regard to the Transfer of knowledge CEI·MAR goes beyond the conception of a packaged technological offer under the formula of copyright (via patents or software) and beyond the implementation of the research if there is a specific field of application. CEI·MAR commits with society by developing lines of research that meet its needs and that give answers to the innovation problems of the companies, pursuing a social and economic development and ultimately creating employment.

CEI·MAR lines of action for knowledge transfer are as follows:

– Industrial Doctoral Thesis Program.

– Program of Excellence Conference in Business Innovation

– Interconnecting with the business network Program

– Business Innovation projects and Land Development Program.

– Fostering Entrepreneurship Program

– Setting up a spin-off supportive Program

– Supporting the transfer activity of researchers

– International Projection Program

– Analyzing the education needs of the business environment and promoting training courses.

– Forum for experts in strategic sectors

–Seminars on Transfer for the strategic sectors linked to the marine-maritime activities.

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