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FORWARD
Departments
The Main objective of FORWARD project is to improve excellence in research and innovation potential of the European Outermost Regions (OR) to strengthen their participation in research and innovation projects financed by the EU and link the research activities to territorial development. Based on a multiple actor, multidiscipline and intersectorial perspective, the aim of the project is to facilitate the collaboration and creation of networks among representatives of the quadruple helix stakeholders (university, SME, government, civil society) at regional level among the OR and with their EU Member State counterparts and those of third countries at international level.
ENERMAC
Departments
Given the great potential of renewable energies, they are designed to play an essential role in future European energy. Their use has great strategic value for Europe, which is making a big effort in its attempt to achieve clean, efficient safe energy system while guaranteeing the EU industrial leadership in low carbon emission energy technologies. The Macaronesia archipelagos have common energy problems whose solutions might be exportable to West Africa to contribute to sustainable energy development in these regions with expanding economies, maximising implementation of RES use. The Canaries and Madeira energy systems are characterised by high dependence on outsourced energy. These territories lack conventional energy resources; nevertheless, RES abound, particularly solar and wind energy. This problem is replicated in any weak grid such as those of Cape Verde and Mauritania. The ENERMAC project (Renewable Energies & Energy Efficiency for the Sustainable Development of the Macaronesia Islands & West Africa) seeks to find solutions enabling existing barriers to RES technology incorporation to be overcome and develop strategies designed to maximise use of renewables in the energy mix of the Macaronesian archipelagos and West African emerging countries. To this effect, it seeks to maximise penetration of the RES in weak grids, promoting the large lines they are going to act on at energy level: Energy Planning, Rational Use of Energy; and Analysis of Grids & Micro-grids. With this, it is essential to create a network of excellence in the RES and energy efficiency field, where knowledge generated is shared among the participating bodies, fostering training and personal researcher exchange, all with a view to the necessary co-operation of the different competent bodies in the regions to apply know-how acquired collaboratively to resolve the energy problems of the regions involved.
ISLANDAP
Departments
ISLANDAP pursues the boosting of R+D+i in sustainable aquaponics production appropriate for the Region’s specificities, likewise creation of a multidiscipline work network which fosters sustainable primary production, revaluation of bio-resources, bio-technology, circular economy and education in these areas. 3 Specific objectives will be fostered for this: Boost R+D+i capacities in sustainable production aquaponics systems, via creation of joint research platforms, which position the OR favourably in innovation in the primary sector likewise food safety and their participation in competitive projects. Competitive improvements in the OR islands’ aquaponics production. Transfrontier and transnational co-operation actions between universities and R+D centres, for research personnel exchange and joint training, to facilitate European project participation. Creation of a network of sustainable development, circular economy and aquaponics.
MACBIOBLUE
Departments
MACBIOBLUE is a project of demonstrative actions which help companies develop and implement technologies, products and processes in the blue economy field (aquaculture and blue biotechnology, specifically algae), with great potential in the region. The aim is for native micro- (Isochrysis galbana, Dunaliella tertiolecta, Dunaliella salina, Tetraselmis striata & Navicola salinicola) and macro-algae (Lobophora variegata & Cystoseira abies marina) species, which have been tested/assessed for both industrial potential and applications in previous projects, via joint co-operation work and technology transfer between research centres and companies manage to achieve their future commercial exploitation. This project aims to apply value and release to the market many of the results obtained from successful PCTMAC projects: BIOPOLIS, BIOPHARMAC, ALGABIOMAC, BIOTRANSFER, APRENMAC, BIOVAL, BANGEN, etc.
MAGIC
Departments
The ‘Moving Towards Adaptive Governance in Complexity: Informing Nexus Security’ (MAGIC) project is 4 year one funded under the H2020-WATER-2015-two-stage programme, in the line ‘Integrated food safety, low carbon energy, sustainable water management and climate change mitigation strategies’ (WATER-2b-2015). MAGIC aims to break with the past in narrative construction of sustainable policy formulations related to the nexus between food, energy, water and climate; thereby leading the institutions (specifically the European Commission) more quickly to current thought regarding this nexus based on the theory of complex systems, ecology theory likewise the history and philosophy of science and technology. The solution MAGIC poses is based on opening the space of possible narratives instead of choosing a single narrative so that numbers prevent identification of the optimum solution. This is called QST and integrates quality and quantity analysis. The mechanism supporting QST is called MuSIASEM (Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism). Beyond seeking to reinforce and confirm the selected narrative, the analysis via QST aims to systematically try an incorrect option identifying restrictions and impossibilities. A QST option or line can be tested based on its viability (do the resources add?), feasibility (can a society and institutions implement it with the proposed technology?), and convenience (is this what society expects to achieve?). QST avoids the precision of large mathematical models seeking the clarity and simplicity of the flow fund balances indicated. MAGIC checks existing policies and innovative trends, rejecting unrealistic dichotomies among scientists and policy creators. The works occur in communities where scientists, policy executors and civil society co-exist. The narratives created and analysed by these communities constitute a socially solid contribution for the development of policies. In the third millennium, the change of the ‘empty world’ concept to that of a ‘complete globalised world’ is reaching its maximum speed, which generates new challenges for sustainability management. Conventional solutions as a readjustment of the combination or production factors (substitute a less limited resource to compensate the scarcity of the other), or externalisation of the problem to other agents making maximum use of current favourable exchange terms, may become unsustainable in the long-term in our world. Implementation of policies which involve the nexus between water, food, energy and use of the land requires urgent revision of existing analytical and theoretical
MIMAR
Departments
Microalgae culture to produce bioactive molecules of interest requires a controlled environment which is hindered when there is a need to increase the scalability of the same. Regarding the culture of some microalgae groups such as the dinoflagellates, there are other difficulties such as their slow growth, sensitivity to turbulence, symbiotic needs or relations or parasitism, among others. This is why very few dinoflagellate species are cultured to produce toxins and at a very small scale (less than 50lts). Once the toxins produced by these micro-organisms in their natural environment have caused diseases in animals and humans, tools are required to improve the diagnostic methods of the same. In this sense, their artificial culture with the necessary optimum conditions for their growth, will make a quantity of toxins available for use in improving the diagnostic methods of these diseases, such as CFP (viability test, HPLC, etc.), likewise better knowledge of the mechanisms causing them.
RESOR
Departments
Maximising energy savings and reaching high energy efficiency levels are crucial challenges currently faced by the EU. Remote regions, as those partners in the RESOR project, are characterised by a higher dependence on fossil fuels and general less efficient energy choices and behaviours among citizens and even more among businesses, for whom investment in renewables or energy efficiency are often not a priority or financially feasible. RESOR was thus born as a response to the need for supporting businesses in the adoption of more sustainable energy behaviours and practices. The focus chosen by partners targets remote territories, which on one hand represent less favoured areas of Europe but which, on the other, are often well placed to employ innovative solutions and attract energy investments. The aim of the project is to support energy efficiency and renewable energy use in businesses of the secondary and tertiary sector of the partner regions by improving current regional policies. The project activities will envisage an interregional learning process involving staff from public authorities and representatives of relevant stakeholder groups. This learning process will result in the identification of best practices for the improvement of regional policy instruments supporting energy efficiency and RES use and in the draft of Action Plans to be implemented in each partner region.
REBECA
Departments
Creation of co-ordination, connectivity and co-operation platform among research groups of the Macaronesia region and Northwest Africa to seek synergies and boost an emerging industrial sector based on biotechnology of microalgae and cyanobacteria in the geographical area of influence of the MAC programme
