The two-day online event includes a world-class roster of speakers. They will share knowledge on floating offshore wind, alongside latest advances in wave power, floating solar, hydrogen and offshore aquaculture.
Updates will also be provided on pioneering marine renewable projects including WindFloat Atlantic, X1 Wind, HiWave-5 and Waveroller. A separate section will be dedicated to leveraging innovative financial systems for blue economy growth.
Panellists include EDP, Ocean Winds, Marine Renewables Canada, Hydrogen Optimized, Natural Resources Canada, Canada's Ocean Supercluster, CorPower Ocean, X1Wind, AW-Energy, Teamwork Technology and Aquazor. Academics will join from the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy and the Atlantic Lab for Future Technologies. Meanwhile, Government officials will contribute from the Canadian Embassy and Portugal’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Ministry of the Sea.
Crucially, there is also an opportunity for delegates to gain direct access to headline speakers and other attendees through ‘Business 2 Business’ meetings.
WavEC President António Sarmento said, “We are thrilled to be staging this event with our Canadian colleagues where we can share our passion and global intelligence about the thriving blue economy. As international partners, our nations are interested in the sustainable and responsible exploitation of ocean resources in several key areas including energy, food and materials. In turn, we are keen to enhance knowledge and understanding of the huge opportunities to develop technologies for better monitoring and observation of the ocean and its vast resources.
“In the years to come, oceans will inevitably play an increasingly important role supporting global economic growth. However, if we don’t develop the right technology now to ensure sustainable development, it will have a devastating impact on the marine environment. This seminar is an opportunity to debate the challenges and opportunities associated with the development of new ocean technologies and also an opportunity for companies, research organizations and public administration to exchange views and get a better understanding of opportunities they can jointly address.”
Portugal’s commitment to clean energy is underpinned by the National Energy and Climate Plan 2030, which is aiming for 80% of the nation’s total energy usage to be drawn from renewables by 2030. Meanwhile, renewable energy in Canada currently provides around 17% of the nation’s primary energy supply, with the majority attributed to hydroelectricity.
Ambassador of Canada to Portugal Lisa Rice Madan said, “The Embassy of Canada to Portugal is delighted to be partnering with WavEC to deliver this world-class seminar. Building a sustainable ocean economy is both a global challenge and an opportunity, which is why it is important to have international panellists, including from Canadian organizations, share their expertise in the fields of marine renewable energy, ocean technologies, and fisheries and aquaculture.
“The diverse Canadian Blue Economy includes Canadian and foreign multinationals, major technology and service suppliers, small-to-medium-sized ocean technology enterprises, and some of the world’s preeminent ocean and marine scientists, engineers, and R&D facilities. This breadth of activity means there is a large pool of potential partners for innovation, collaboration and investment, in particular with countries, such as Portugal, which value the vast potential of oceans while understanding the need to protect them.”
WavEC is a world-renowned ‘center of excellence’ focusing on the development of marine renewable energy and offshore aquaculture through R&D, knowledge transfer and innovation. The non-profit organization heavily supports the EU’s Horizon 2020 Program and has delivered more than 65 R&D projects - seeing circa €12million of funding invested in the marine renewables sector. It has worked in collaboration with more than 250 partners in 25 countries.
To register for the event access B2B meetings.
