The third general meeting of the A-AAGORA project took place in Cork, Ireland and was organized by local partners – University College Cork and Cork County Council.
During the 3-day meeting, members of the 30 partners from 8 European countries were present in person to discuss the project’s progress, exchange ideas, and present the development of each work package and future activities related to the Demonstrators – Região Centro (PT), County Cork (IE), and Troms (NO).
Working groups were created, bringing together representatives from the work packages and demonstrators to discuss issues related to technological development and the implementation of living labs. After delving into the information requirements and necessary datasets, parallel sessions focused on key topics such as outputs for the digital ocean, job market opportunities, carbon market, biodiversity related to restoration, sustainable business models, stakeholder engagement, community of practice, and policy relevance.
During this General Assembly, the project consortium also had the opportunity to meet some of its External Advisory Board members. Bogdan Oldakowski, Secretary-General of the Baltic Ports, was present in person. Angela Guimarães Pereira from the European Commission – DG Joint Research Centre, Jörn Schmidt, Chair of the Scientific Committee of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, Manuel Lago, Senior Fellow at the Ecologic Institute, and Sofia Soares Cordeiro from the Foundation for Science and Technology joined the meeting remotely to discuss potential contributions and their expectations regarding the A-AAGORA project.
The meeting included a visit to the demonstrator area in Ireland. A-AAGORA partners made an inspiring field trip to Harper’s Island, Youghal, and surrounding areas to learn about and explore the local community’s efforts in biodiversity and environmental conservation.
More information about the project can be found on the website at www.a-aagora.eu.