The delegate of the Consortium, Fran González, will present the strengths of the Cadiz tax district, its new industry model and the Blue Economy incubator Incubazul
This is an integrated activity within the United Nations Decade of UNESCO Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)
The rectors of the universities of Cádiz and Magdalena (Colombia), Casimiro Mantell and Pablo Vera - respectively -, the vice-rector of Research at Magdalena, Jorge Enrique Elías, the undersecretary of the Colombian Ocean Commission, Captain Julio Cristancho, the coordinator of CEIMAR and BiO Red Institute, John Alexander Taborda, the director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Angélica Silva, the director of Business Management Knowledge, Mónica Zulbarán and the Special State Delegate for the Cádiz Free Trade Zone, Francisco Matías González, presented yesterday the first edition of InnovAzul Caribe, a great event around the Blue Economy that appears within the activities associated with the Decade of United Nations of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development (2021-30) of UNESCO and which will take place in Santa Marta (Colombia) between the 11th and 13 of this month of September.
To this end, the organization has closed an intense program of activities that combine scientific development, innovation and knowledge transfer and that includes, in different sessions, the inaugural conference by Gunter Pauli (entrepreneur, considered the father of the Blue Economy and Doctor Honoris Causa by the UCA since last April, the round table on scientific diplomacy (which will have the participation, among others, of the rector of the UCA, the delegate of the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz, as well as representatives of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean or the Institute of Marine and Coastal Research of Colombia -INVEMAR-), a forum on strategic planning around the sea, a meeting of women scientists, visits to projects on innovation and sustainability, a space for experiences in Blue Economy of the universities (with the participation of the UAL spin-off LIFEBIOENCAPSULAPTION and Mª Isabel Sáez, responsible for the R&D&i area and CEIMAR-UAL Coordinator, among others) or the InnovAzul Business Meeting (where the participation of representatives of the Cartagena cluster and the Maritime-Marine Cluster of Andalusia, of the UCA spin-off Surcontrol, whose CEO, Jesús Rodríguez, is also vice president of the Cádiz Naval Maritime Cluster, is planned , or the Free Trade Zone delegate to present Incubazul).
In this way, the InnovAzul international meeting comes to Latin America and the Caribbean to unite companies, institutions and communities around the sustainable and regenerative development of the sea and the coast. An event where the latest research in the field of studies related to the Blue Economy will be presented and which will have the presence of the greatest experts, who will share their knowledge and advances in this academic and scientific meeting to, together, present and discuss marine conservation strategies and international collaboration
The organization and development of this event responds to the great ties of union between Colombia and Spain, which were consolidated after the incorporation of the Universidad del Magdalena as a member of the Campus of International Excellence of the Sea Foundation.
in 2023. It is also an activity included in the Foundation's Own Plan 2024 and is financed by its five Andalusian universities and the Colombian university itself.
InnovAzul Caribe 2024 is configured as an Event of Events, linked to the celebration of Senalmar 2024 (XX National Seminar on Marine Sciences and Technologies).
The State's Space Delegate for the Free Trade Zone, Fran González, has pointed out that “we live this forum from the hope of learning new experiences and assimilating other perspectives to the responsibility of socializing our own path in the blue economy: Incubazul, which has such good results. giving business and socially.” Fran González has also pointed out that “this is the way, because the blue economy will only make sense when we form an ecosystem that truly integrates innovation as a driving force and the circular economy as an axis; and this is precisely what is being promoted in this union of the Atlantic and the Caribbean.”
For the rector of the University of Magdalena, “this event consolidates our commitment to strengthening maritime research, as well as a country vision for the generation of knowledge about the sea in a country, like Colombia, which is an oceanic nation that He has lived with his back to the sea. That sea that unites us” and that is part of the 500 years of Santa Marta. Now, “we have to contribute for the future.” In this “articulation” around marine studies “we have been working for years with the University of Cádiz” and that has allowed us to “be part of the CEI·Mar consortium of excellence. Our motto has always been to work in a coordinated way to “learn” and “continue forging links” around the concept “of the Blue Economy for a regenerative development based on the sea and nature and to build from Santa Marta” that sustainable future and that “our University looks towards the sea.”
In his speech, the Rector of the University of Cádiz thanked the University of Magdalena, UCA, CEIMAR and Zona Franca for their commitment to this event and assured that “with InnovAzul we wanted to put priority on the agenda of public and private actors around a strategy on the Blue Economy in Andalusia, Spain and Europe. An agenda that would unite universities, research centers, companies and professionals related to the Blue Economy around the same space, involved in the same growth strategy.” Thus, "the inclusion of the University of Magdalena in the CEIMAR Campus allows us to connect activities between various oceans -Pacific and Atlantic-, and seas, Caribbean and Mediterranean." In this sense, Casimiro Mantell has specified that "from the University of Cádiz we have put the same effort and the same determination" in InnovAzul Caribe and has recalled that "the UCA, which leads the European university of the seas through the SEA alliance -EU, will launch new undergraduate and postgraduate degrees for the next academic years that deepen the knowledge of the sea and its resources and a specific “Blue Economy” degree. Finally, he pointed out that we are facing “a great event that is in tune with the objectives of sustainable development, unattainable without growth that comes from the sea and that is based on criteria of innovation and sustainability.”
Captain Julio Cristancho wanted to highlight the more than 50-year history of Senalmar. A space where “researchers, professionals and students meet and share their projects, advances and new proposals around marine sciences and technologies.” For this reason, “in this 2024 edition, we are also proud to highlight Colombia's role as a leader in the development of educational and cultural initiatives related to Antarctica. As part of our seminar agenda.” In this way, he specified, we want to underline “our commitment not only to research and international cooperation, but also to history in this important region of the world.” and highlight “the positive response from students and researchers, as well as businessmen and national government entities, who will participate and present their proposals in both scenarios.””.
InnovAzul Caribe is conceived as an international meeting on knowledge and the blue economy that unites companies, institutions, research centers, universities and society and will have the participation of a delegation from Spain made up of the rector of the UCA and president of the Foundation. CEI·Mar, the General Coordinator of CEI·Mar, the manager of the Foundation, the Special State Delegate for the Cádiz Free Trade Zone, as well as representatives of Andalusian companies, including the president of the Cluster Maritime-Marine of Andalusia and spin-off of the CEI·Mar universities. A meeting space that will allow it to have a special role in the event programming, as is the case of the “Scientific Diplomacy Round Table” or the “Innovazul Business Meeting”, among others.
