Press Release on DOORS Black Sea Kick-off Meeting

A new €9m EU research project will link science, policy, and industry for critical Black Sea regeneration. Led by GeoEcoMar from Romania, DOORS will bring together expertise and technology from 37 institutions from the Black Sea region and other European countries to address the human and climate change impacts on damaged ecosystems. The kick-off meeting was launched on 29th June by Wendy Bonne of the European Commission and Mr. Ciprian Teleman, Romanian Minister of Research, Innovation, and Digitalization, who said:

“DOORS represents a clear commitment of the European Union for the Black Sea, which will enable a climate-neutral, sustainable and productive blue economy. Education, Research, and innovation are the Golden Triangle for the knowledge-based economy to strengthen the links between Romanian and European scientists.”

“DOORS is the project that will transform into reality the Scientific Research and Innovation Agenda for the Black Sea, a strategic document endorsed by the riparian and EU countries during the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council. Now DOORS will generate deeper knowledge and understanding on the processes governing the specific Black Sea ecosystems and understand which are the thresholds that we need to respect to have a healthy and productive sea.”
Adrian Stanica, DOORS Project coordinator, Director General, GeoEcoMar, Romania

Bordered by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine, the Black Sea has a rich cultural history and a wealth of biodiversity and wildlife. But in order to address the environmental challenges that threaten the Black Sea (see note 2), DOORS will develop a common framework of scientific methods for gathering data. The project will provide a system that will bring together information from in-situ measurements, research cruises, satellite observation, modeling, and data integration capabilities. This system will allow partners to better understand the complex marine processes that happen across the Black Sea.

Alongside the integration of scientific knowledge sharing, it is a fundamental objective for DOORS to engage with wider society. By providing mechanisms for business to link with research, DOORS will create new job opportunities for emerging Blue Growth economies through new synergies and mentoring schemes; the first of its kind to be set up in the Black Sea. Key initiatives that engage schools, universities, and general citizens of the region will promote behavior change and celebrate best practices, influencing future policy, Blue Growth, and the health of Black Sea communities.

“We hope that by the end of the project, DOORS will open a sea of new opportunities to Black Sea communities. For too long our sea has suffered from the combined effects of humans and global changes, but also from the twists of recent history. DOORS will bring the needed knowledge to support the Black Sea recovery – whilst bringing the opportunities of the Industry 4.0 Revolution closer to the people. We hope DOORS will be the game-changer that we have been waiting for.”
Adrian Stanica, DOORS Project coordinator, Director General, GeoEcoMar, Romania

DOORS has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (H2020-EU.3.2.3.3.) under grant agreement No 101000518

Contacts
If you would like more information about this project, please email Michael Rea, WP lead for Communications and Dissemination at communications@doorsblacksea.eu