Today is the second day of Governing Week at the University of Gdańsk. Members of the Executive Committee from nine European Universities of the Seas discussed the future of the alliance. An end of SEA-EU 1.0 report and the results of previous actions were presented, as well as action plans for the upcoming years, including establishing closer and better-functioning relations between business and higher education institutions. 

The meeting of the Executive Committee started at 8:30 a.m. in the Library of the University of Gdańsk. The guests were welcomed by Prof. Piotr Stepnowski, the Rector of the University of Gdańsk. Next, Prof. Fidel Echevarría from the University of Cádiz presented the end of the project report for SEA-EU 1.0. and spoke about carried out and planned programmes, and other intense actions of the alliance. 

As the meeting continued, the first steps of Working Packages and Observatories were discussed. The questions of legal status, mobility within SEA-EU, and Artificial Intelligence were also mentioned.

The second panel, the Meeting of the Executive Committee of the SEA-EU Alliance, started at 12:15 p.m. and was opened by welcoming the participants and approving the minutes from the last plenary session of EC. After that, actions taken within reSEArch-EU between February 2023 and June 2023 were discussed. 

The significance of building awareness of the SEA-INNOVATE HUB and its components was highlighted, as well as the importance of the common marketing and PR plans, meaning taking actions necessary for promotion and proper use of the Hub. 

The subjects of the debate were also the main challenges the SEA-EU community faces, the need to attract business stakeholders to cooperate, and encouraging the universities to constant input in the Hub. The contributions toward Hub should be made by adding both Marketplace tool services and materials in the best practices sharing section.

The summary report on the results of pilot actions (including Transformation Labs, Kiel Market Place, Marine Science Shop, and Citizen Science Contest) was presented. The representatives also spoke about the implementation of the Marketplace tool, designed to cater to the specific needs of both enterprises and the academic environment. It is expected to facilitate the founding of the services provided by the academic environment and to connect scientists of academic backgrounds with the company experts, creating a platform for cooperation and knowledge exchange. The tool is supposed to link scientists and trade experts, supporting partnerships that may lead to valuable cooperation and research projects.

After the lunch break, further meetings of Governing Week planned for today will take place in the Library of the University of Gdańsk, including Student Council, Cities Council, Ports Council, SEA-EU Goes Greener, and Open Campus Lectures about SDGs.