Hosted by the Polytechnic of Leiria, the EU conference ‘From the Sea to Society’, held on 25 May, in the city of Peniche (Portugal), highlighted the importance of the ocean and a blue economy in the institutional strategy of higher education institutions.

The president of the Polytechnic of Leiria and Coordinator of RUN-EU, Rui Pedrosa, opened the event where he noted that the Polytechnic of Leiria has been – and will continue – investing in marine and maritime research, aligned with the ‘green transformation agenda, included in the 2030 Strategic Plan of the Polytechnic of Leiria’.

The first panel debated sustainability supported by knowledge and the importance of European collaborative networks for the blue bioeconomy with representatives from European research and innovation centres. The keynote speaker of this panel was the General Coordinator of the European University of the Seas (SEA-EU), Fidel Echevarría.

The second panel focused on the enhancement of coastal identities in Europe associated with the sustainability of resources and the social resilience of fishing communities with representatives from different marine organisations. In this panel, the keynote speaker was Han Brezet, member of the EU Projects Boosting Team, Innovatiepact Fryslan (NL), and member of the RUN-EU’s Steering Board.

The conference ended with a set of different in-person cultural activities, held at the Polytechnic of Leiria’s School of Tourism and Maritime Technology, for those who could attend the event in Peniche.