EUROFLEETS RI – AN ALLIANCE OF ORGANIZATIONS AND RESEARCH VESSELS TO STRENGTHEN INTEGRATED AND SUSTAINED OBSERVATIONS IN THE OCEAN AND SUPPORT INNOVATIVE NEW TECHNOLOGY VALIDATION TO FURTHER ADVANCE OBSERVING COMPETENCIES AND CAPABILITIES

Built on the two previous FP7 grants Eurofleets (2009-2013) and Eurofleets 2 (2013-2017) and within the on-going H2020 Eurofleets+ project, the under-discussion Eurofleets RI aims at strengthening the role of the European Research Vessel Fleet in collecting marine data from global oceans, regional seas and coastal waters, deploy and service observing systems, so providing a vital platform for other European RIs. Eurofleets+ provides transnational access to a unique fl eet of research vessels through a robust call management and evaluation process. Joint research activities in the project aims at advancing data management, improving interoperability of rigs for deployment of different equipment, facilitating installation of mobile equipment across different vessels and validating new innovations for intelligent exploration. Active dialog with stakeholders ensures that marine research vessels including associated equipment are coordinated, designed and operated optimally to meet scientific user’s requirements in addition to providing training activities to support the next generation of marine scientists. Fostering innovation through the management of exploitable results is supported through collaboration with industrial partners. A business plan and strategic roadmap are under development for Eurofl eets RI, while extensive dissemination and communication activities to raise awareness of the essential role of the European Research Vessel Fleet are ongoing.