The PREMI – Plataforma Regional Mar Inteligente – project brings together seven organisations, including INESC TEC, in an entrepreneurial discovery process to define strategic priorities and identify key lines of action for the Blue Economy. The goal is to support the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR-N) in strengthening the region’s ocean-related tech and scientific capabilities.
Funded by the NORTE2030 programme, PREMI is specifically dedicated to supporting and building the capacity of PREI REM – the Regional Smart Specialisation Platform for Marine Resources and the Ocean Economy. The project’s scope includes assessing existing marine resources, establishing investment needs in scientific and technological infrastructure, and identifying anchor projects.
“PREMI is a strategic instrument for the Northern region; by bringing together many institutions working in ocean-related sectors, it will be possible to help CCDR-Norte identify the key areas of scientific and technological development for the Blue Economy,” highlighted Diana Viegas, coordinator of INESCTEC.OCEAN and researcher at INESC TEC.
The Regional Smart Sea Platform (as it is named in English) seeks active dialogue with the various players in the maritime industry, to build a critical and holistic picture of the needs to be addressed and the opportunities to be harnessed within the Blue Economy. Ultimately, the findings of this multidimensional analysis will shed light on investment priorities and clear lines of action for the sustainable development of ocean-related activities.
This open engagement with market stakeholders will also foster the development of smart specialisation chains, whilst contributing to a healthy regional innovation system in Northern Portugal.
The founding consortium of PREMI comprises seven organisations, spanning R&D centres and public bodies: INESC TEC, Fórum Oceano, B2E, CENTITVC, the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, and the University of Minho. The project is led by CIIMAR – the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research at the University of Porto.
Made up of members from all consortium partners, the project team is organised into six working groups, each focused on a separate area: Permanent Ocean Monitoring, Coastal Biosystems, Biotechnologies and Economic Circularity, Advanced Materials and Ocean Technologies, Aquaculture, and Ocean Energies. The final working group is coordinated by Bernardo Silva, researcher and head of the Renewable Energies area at INESC TEC, as well as a lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP).
“Our involvement in this initiative reflects the tech development expertise and marine applications that INESC TEC has demonstrated,” underlined Diana Viegas. The researcher mentioned that the Institute’s contribution, “alongside the other stakeholders, will help support the Northern region in shaping public policies that drive the development of economic activities related to the Blue Economy.”
PREMI also encompasses the advance of new skills for the maritime sector, by identifying and drawing up proposals for training programmes. With a broader societal focus, the ocean literacy activities will promote greater awareness and appreciation of marine resources and ocean sustainability.
With a €646,921 funding by the NORTE2030 programme, the PREMI project will run until January 2028.
