Prof. Dr. Eden Mamut, General Secretary of the Network of Black Sea Universities, coordinator of the 4BIZ project, took part in the conference «Integration of Ukraine into the European Maritime Community», which took place on May 25, 2023, as part of the celebration of the European Maritime Day. The event was held with the support of the EU4BUSINESS program in Mykolaiv and brought together organizations and institutions working in the maritime industry, including representatives of shipbuilding and ship repair, shipping, ports, logistics, marine technologies, related industries, as well as experts, politicians and stakeholders from various regions They discussed the challenges and opportunities of Ukraine’s integration into the European Maritime Community.
During direct inclusion, the coordinator was in Brest, France, where he presented the 4BIZ project at the exhibition dedicated to the European Maritime Day, however, was able to spare time and join the event organized by the Ukrainian partner of the project, the Public Union «Ukrainian Maritime Cluster». He informed about the most important aspects that were defined during the event in Brest, namely:
“The seas and oceans provide great opportunities for human activity, in particular in the maritime sector, above all in the field of fishing and aquaculture – this is an opportunity to meet the food needs. But in this perspective, we saw a large number of developments that were discussed during the discussions. Another important point is the protection of the environment, the safety of the oceans from various influences. This was the key message from many of the speakers at the special sessions on security, cyber security and other types of ocean-related security. So to speak, activities regarding the natural environment of the oceans, in the issues of climate change and new opportunities to protect the planet. Next, I would like to draw attention to the fact that the active development of various business models that try to encourage the field of aquaculture, maritime transport, as well as aspects related to education and awareness buildings is characteristic for all of Europe. In this context, in my opinion, the sustainable development of the blue economy is important for the Black Sea region».
At the invitation of Prof. Dr. Eden Mamut, Javier Fernandez, representative of the Assistance Mechanism for the Implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning (the Assistance Mechanism for the Implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning), took the floor, who noted that:
“EU sea basin strategies are aimed at supporting all stakeholders, in all countries, including the Black Sea, for the implementation of projects, startups, new ideas and practices. All the changes taking place, decisions aimed at the implementation of blue growth, including in Ukraine, in particular thanks to European grant programs. That is why our team helps to establish the process of working with the implementation of projects.”
In turn, Prof. Dr. Eden Mamut thanked Javier Fernandez for his support and informed that, within the framework of the 4BIZ project, countries reports about the blue economy in partners countries have already been prepared and published, enterprises have already been mapped and various activities are held.
Fragment of the performance
Reference: The EMD in My Country is the European Commission’s campaign to celebrate European Maritime Day across Europe. Thousands of events occur under the campaign every year, bringing together citizens in their local communities. The EMD in My Country celebrates a shared sense of belonging and cultural heritage with the sea, ocean activism, and the economic importance of the ocean and seas for a sustainable blue economy.