Promoting technology innovations is the main focus of the TIMMOD project activities. Combining the efforts of all project partners an Innovation Strategy for further adoption and implementation of innovative environmental monitoring methodologies and tools has been developed. Five National discussions and validation workshops of the Innovation Strategy addressed to key stakeholders in the water monitoring sector took place between 24-28 February 2022 in the project partners' countries.
TIMMOD team intended to draw their efforts toward the involvement of the targeted audience - national key stakeholders in an active discussions during the National Validation Workshops, and most important – in the further implementation of the Innovation Strategy in short-term and long-term prospective. Modern interactive tools for questioning, polls, interviewing, providing relevant feedback from the participants were also incorporated during the workshop.
Round table discussions and exchanging experience and expert opinions have been organized in four thematic areas:
- Needs and Opportunities for Technological upgrade in marine fisheries monitoring and modelling activities;
- Toward Improved mechanism for regional coordination & management;
- National challenges and opportunities facing fisheries sector;
- Involvement of key stakeholders in the Strategy co-implementation process;
Proceedings of the National Validation Workshops with all final conclusions and recommendations, expertise suggestions, comments detailed results and opinions are going to be implemented in the drafted Innovation Strategy.
NATIONAL VALIDATION WORKSHOP IN BULGARIA
The national validation workshop took place on 24th of February 2022 in Varna, Bulgaria. The meeting was hosted by the Institute of Fish Resources (IFR)- Lead Beneficiary assisted by Black Sea Danube Association of research and development (BDCA)- project partner. The workshop was organized as a hybrid event with live participation of involved partners, stakeholders and guests in Art Saloon Radio Varna, Varna, Bulgaria and online participants in MS Teams platform. In total 36 participants, representing 19 national organizations took part in the validation workshop.
NATIONAL VALIDATION WORKSHOP IN ROMANIA
On 28 February 2022, DDNI Tulcea hosted the national meeting to validate the innovation strategy in Romania. The meeting was attended by approx. 40 representatives of the central authorities (Mr. Secretary of State Bogdan Mihai Dumea from the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization) and local (ANPA & ARBDD), the academic environment (research institutes - ICDEAPA Galați and INCDDD Tulcea, universities - Dunărea de Jos University Galați , Ovidius University Constanța) and the private sector (SMEs and NGOs - Golovița Fishermen's Association). Due to the pandemic situation caused by COVID-19, the meeting was organized in a hybrid system, in the conference room of the Delta Hotel in Tulcea and on the Zoom Meeting platform.
NATIONAL VALIDATION WORKSHOP IN GREECE
The national validation workshop in Greece had been organized also on 28 February 2022 by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The meeting was hosted entirely online in Zoom Meeting platform. In total 22 participants- representatives of national local and regional authorities, academia and research participated in the event and were actively involved in the organized round table discussions.
NATIONAL VALIDATION WORKSHOP IN GEORGIA
The national validation workshop in Georgia took place in online environment on 28 February 2022. The event was organized by National Environmental Agency- Georgia.
NATIONAL VALIDATION WORKSHOP IN MOLDOVA
The national validation workshop in Moldova, planned by RECM for 25 February 2022 was postponed in the last minute due to force majeure: the state of emergency was declared on the territory of the Republic of Moldova on 24 February 2022, generated by the military conflict (war) in the neighboring country Ukraine. The event is suspended for next possible period.
Every input is very valuable for developing an effective Innovation Strategy. With pleasure we share the Vision that defines the Innovation Strategy - to make Black Sea cleaner, to increase fish abundance, and provide sustainable use of fish and non-fish resources by using advanced monitoring and modeling tools. It is shortly expressed in the slogan of TIMMOD project:
Innovation we need, for the Black Sea we want!
