Ocean Challenges

The OCEAN Challenges is born out of previous work on ocean studies, an interdisciplinary field that aims to respond to key societal challenges:

  • Ocean as a solution to climate change and biodiversity loss (nexus ocean/climate/biodiversity);
  • Developing a truly blue economy (in the sense of sustainable ocean economy) with good job creation linked to innovation and technology, considering also traditional knowledge.

Among other, but with particular importance the focus of the Connected Community (CC) is on:

  • Building a shared language related to the ocean, that improves ocean literacy and makes room to boost innovation relating blue economy and better ocean governance at the different levels of decision;
  • Elect Ocean Challenges among the community to drive teaching and research.

PLANNED EDUCATION ACTIVITIEs

  • Research-based learning workshop for CC students.
  • At the BA level – “Field Lab” final course (27 ECTS), designed to produce a teamwork throughout the semester, focused on different topics proposed by the schools involved and other relevant stakeholders and elected by the students.

PLANNED RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

At the Masters Level, but also joining professors and students from the BA level and the NOVA Ocean Knowledge Centre Community, mainly in:

  • Marine bio prospection law (comparative analyses, legal policy recommendations);
  • Marine biobanks network (legal policy recommendations and legal drafting, part of a broader agenda on boosting blue bioeconomy);
  • Role of women in selected ocean sectors (expected to start in a couple of months).

How to get involved?

The course was conducted primarily through an expository teaching method, employed both by Professor Ruben Eiras and by a selection of guest experts who specialise in various relevant topics.These guest speakers brought a wealth of knowledge and real-world experience, enriching the learning environment and providing students with diverse perspectives.
The culmination of this project took place during the final session, where students presented their projects to a panel of experts, real life investors. In this context, students had the opportunity to showcase their creativity, critical thinking, and presentation skills.

The experts panel:

  • Joana Lisboa Tiago, Senior Investment Officer of European Investment Bank (EIB)
  • Manuel Alves Gomes, Executive Director of Touro Capital Partners
  • André Almeida Santos, Partner of Indico Capital Partners
  • Rita Sousa, Partner of Faber
  • Manuel Melo, Innovation Manager of Hub Azul Portugal, Fórum Oceano

The final presentation not only served as a platform for students to demonstrate their understanding and application of the course material but will also provided them with invaluable experience in public speaking and professional presentation. The expert panel consists of individuals with extensive knowledge and experience in the relevant fields, who will evaluate the pitches based on criteria such as innovation, feasibility, and presentation quality.

Important dates: Enrolment until 10th February 2025.

Classes start Monday, February 17th and will go to the end of May 2025. The final presentation date was May 19th.
Classes took place Mondays from 9pm to 12pm CET.

In the application for participation in the course, the assessment of academic merit was based on two key components, which contributed to the overall evaluation of each applicant. The first component, Academic Merit accounted for 30% of the total assessment, while the second component, Motivation and justification, constituted 70% of the evaluation criteria.

Two of the selected groups were invited to come to Lisbon and pitch their projects in the room, with travelling and accommodation expenses assured.

Two of the selected groups were invited to come to Lisbon and pitch their projects in the room, with travelling and accommodation expenses assured.

COURSE STRUCTURE

CHAPTER 1 – MEGA TRENDS OF BLUE ECONOMY, FINANCE, INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT POLICIES 1.1 Blue Economy Finance and Investment in the context of the «triple transition»: Geopolitics +Digital Transformation+Energy for Climate Change
1.2. Blue Investment and economy trends overview: blue economy value chains and interplay with Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Carbon Markets
1.3. Development policies 1: the essential about Integrated Maritime Policy of European Union
1.4. Development policies 2: an essential overview about UN and International Ocean Policies (OECD)


CHAPTER 2 – FINANCE FOR NON-FINANCIERS: HOW TO OPERATIONALIZE FINANCE STRATEGIES FOR BLUE ECONOMY 2.1. Core concepts of Finance Instruments 1: Private mechanisms
2.2. Core concepts of Finance Instruments 2: Public mechanisms – european funds of central, national and regional management
2.3. Catalytic Finance Strategies for Sustainable (ESG) Blue Economy: how to blend public mechanisms with private mechanisms


CHAPTER 3 – OCEAN BLUE FINANCE «SHARK TANK»

3.1. Open innovation tools for desiginig blue finance for development solutions:  Core concepts about business models+Learning how to use the Blue Business Canvas methodology. Class organizes in 4-5 people teams. A different challenge will be addressed to each team.
3.2. Each Team presents their solution proposals to a jury panel of finance entities.

CALL TO ENGAGE WITH THE OCEAN CHALLENGES 2024

The NOVA Ocean Knowledge Centre, part of the NOVA School of Law’s Research & Development Centre on Law and Society (CEDIS), will hold an official event to present the results obtained from its participation in the Portuguese Blue Biobank Project. The event will address the theme “The role of legislation in promoting the blue biotechnology sector in Portugal”, and it will place on December 3, 2024, in room 007 of the NOVA School of Law, from 14h30 to 17h00 (Lisbon time).

The Portuguese Blue Biobank is one of the major projects of the Innovation Pact – known as the Blue Bioeconomy Pact – a consortium led by Inovamar, Lda, which embraces the challenge of strengthening and reindustrializing Portuguese industries associated with the exploitation of marine resources. The project is part of the Blue Bioeconomy Pact as a transversal Work Package (WP9) and funded by the Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP).

In the project, NOVA Ocean had the task of preparing a piece of legislation to regulate the activity of marine bioprospecting and the use of resources collected and developed from samples, as well as the use of samples already collected and stored and their development. For that, the centre identified and analyzed the relevant legislation at international, European and national level. At the national level, a comparative study was conducted including the legislation of 10 countries: Portugal, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Spain, France, and Norway. 21 main comparative elements on the subject were identified, which were analyzed individually in each of the national legislations selected for the comparative study and inserted into a comparative analysis table.

The 21 elements addressed topics such as the nature of the marine genetic resources (MGRs), the competent entity, the in situ and ex situ access regime, the MGRs collections, the use, transfer, and traceability of MGRs, the benefit sharing regime, among other matters.

NOVA Ocean would like to invite the whole EUTOPIA community to engage in the project to broaden its scope and deepen its research. A possible option would be to apply the comparative analysis table to other national legislations. Other approaches and types of participation are also welcome, if suitable. You would be welcomed to participate in our event and present your findings. If you are interested, please contact NOVA Ocean through the email: novaocean@novalaw.unl.pt

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