Atlantic Awards 2025: Celebrating cooperation and innovation across the Atlantic

The 12^thAtlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference brought together more than a hundred participants from across Europe's Atlantic regions to Galway (Ireland) on 13 November 2025 under the theme "Tides of Cooperation: The Atlantic Strategy as a Catalyst for the European Ocean Pact". The event highlighted how joint efforts can steer the Atlantic regions towards a sustainable and inclusive blue future.

A highlight of the conference was the Atlantic Project Awards, honouring five outstanding initiatives that embody the spirit of the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0. These projects stood out for their innovative approaches to sustainability, cooperation, and community impact.

Recognising excellence: The 2025 Atlantic Award Winners

In the Marine Renewable Energy category, AquaWind , coordinated by Javier Roo Filgueira of the Canary Islands Agency for Research, Innovation and Information Society, received the award for its pioneering prototype that combines offshore renewable energy with sustainable aquaculture. The project shows how different uses of marine space can coexist, creating both environmental and economic value.

The Blue Skills award went to WIN-BIG , represented by Dr Hasmik Grigoryan, for its groundbreaking work in promoting gender equality and blue skills across Europe's sea basins. By offering training and mentoring opportunities for women in emerging blue sectors, WIN-BIG is helping build a more diverse, just and resilient maritime workforce.

Both AquaWind and WIN-BIG projects are managed by CINEA, the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency.

The SMARTDEC project , winner in the Atlantic Ports category, is helping transform ports into energy hubs by linking research, industry and policy to drive maritime decarbonisation. Led by Philippe Monbet from Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique, SMARTDEC builds a network of "smart clusters" across Atlantic countries to accelerate the green transition of maritime transport.

In the Resilient Coasts category, MARINNONET , led by José Luis Soengas, was recognised for fostering a cross-border network of researchers and industries in marine biotechnology. Its cooperation model strengthens the sustainable use of marine resources across the Atlantic area.

Finally, the International Cooperation award went to OKEANO CSA , represented by Laura McDonagh, for advancing the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance. The project connects partners from Europe, Africa and the Americas, turning political commitments into tangible actions for a healthier ocean.

Tides of cooperation: building a shared Atlantic future

Beyond the awards, the Galway conference provided a platform for discussion and forward-looking debate. Three high-level plenary sessions tackled key challenges for the Atlantic region:

• the role of ports in the blue energy transition,
• the importance of blue skills for resilient communities
• the growing impact of research and innovation under the European Ocean Pact.

Speakers included Chistos Economou, Felix Leinemann, and Ana Peralta-Baptista from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs (DG MARE), Julia Beile from CINEA, and representatives from the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), the Marine Institute, Port of Vigo, INESC TEC, and other leading organisations. Together, they explored how cooperation, innovation and knowledge-sharing can strengthen Europe's maritime future.

CINEA Project Adviser Julia Beile said

"Reskilling the blue economy workforce has been receiving support by the European Union for almost ten years now with more than € 18 million under the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund."

A region united by the ocean

As the tides of cooperation rise, the Atlantic Awards once again showed that the region's greatest strength lies in its people - those who work across borders to keep the ocean sustainable, innovative and full of promise.