Supporting All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance

Expected Outcome

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• coordinated marine and maritime research and innovation activities with Atlantic Ocean stakeholders, integrating the North and South Atlantic dimension, aligned with the priorities identified in the 2022 All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) Declaration, as well as with areas of action agreed in Cape town in 2023 on increasing resilience of coastal communities, and ocean observing and modelling, including in support of marine ecosystems and biodiversity;
• enhanced visibility to the AAORIA activities, and support to its governance;
• established All-Atlantic Intergenerational Programme fostering a self-sustaining, intergenerational, and transdisciplinary community of Atlantic Ocean experts, promoting science diplomacy, innovation, and governance, as well as connecting, empowering and strengthening the future All Atlantic Leaders and Stewards to make strategic investments, take difficult decisions and facilitate community acceptance.

Scope

Tackling ocean and coastal challenges for the long term requires creating new knowledge, community acceptance and engagement, difficult decisions and strategic investments. This requires cooperation across generations, cultures, geographies and sectors.

Building on past cooperative efforts under the Galway and Belém Statements, the AAORIA Declaration, and the related actions from successive EU Framework Programmes, proposals should contribute to upscaling collaboration across the Atlantic Ocean and promote its sustainable management, including its northern and southern parts and links to polar areas. This includes connecting scientists, stakeholders from public and private sectors, indigenous communities, civil society, and various generations, sectors, and disciplines with data, knowledge, expertise, and resources for the benefit All-Atlantic community. This also requires that proposals develop an All-Atlantic Intergenerational Programme to open access to knowledge, effective knowledge transfer, and stakeholder engagement in an intergenerational context.

In particular, the proposals should:

• consolidate and support existing and new AAORIA initiatives in the priority areas identified in the 2022 AAORIA Declaration, ensuring their long-term self-sustainability;
• contribute with professional support to the coordination, monitoring, communication, and outreach activities of the Alliance, as well as to organisation of the annual AAORIA Forums;
• foresee actions to incorporate new Partners and supporters in AAORIA;
• support an overarching All-Atlantic Intergenerational Cooperation Programme with an integrated platform and network by implementing key actions such as:
• strengthening research and training capacity in ocean science diplomacy, governance and international cooperation; engagement and cooperation with relevant private initiatives, etc. through activities such as summer schools, an annual intergenerational event for knowledge transfer between generations and hosting of the Atlantic Ocean Decade network of the Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP);
• creating and supporting an Atlantic network complementing the Our Shared Ocean Initiative and benefiting Small Island Developing States (SIDS); it should engage coastal communities through the Coastal Resilience Beacon Sites Network and explore innovative cooperation models, such as the Floating Universities Network. To support the network, the proposals should develop an open access platform;
• establishing and supporting an annual high-level event to promote intergenerational dialogue and a healthy and peaceful Atlantic region; maximising visibility and policy impact through global forums such as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the G20;
• creating an independent fund through building partnerships with the private sector and philanthropic organisations to ensure financial support to Atlantic intergenerational cooperation, with a particular focus on providing financial support for ECOPs from Low and Middle Income Countries, as well as the Atlantic and the Caribbean SIDS.

Proposals should link with relevant international bodies such as IOC-UNESCO supporting the All-Atlantic contributions to the UN Decade of Ocean Science, and facilitate dialogue and synergies with EU Missions and Partnerships relevant for the All-Atlantic work, as well as relevant EU projects, such as those resulting from topic HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-COMMUNITIES-03.

Proposals should ensure broad participation across generations, disciplines, and geographical regions through a strong involvement of citizens/civil society, academia/research, industry/SMEs and government/public authorities, as well as cooperation with philanthropists. In order to achieve the expected outcomes, international cooperation is mandatory. Consortia submitting proposals to this topic are encouraged to include in particular participants from AAORIA Partner countries[1] and other Atlantic coastal nations.

[1] Home - All Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance