Collaboration and Discovery: ARCFISH Reflects on Its Time at the 2nd SBEP Symposium
- EurOcean
- Feb 25
- 3 min read
From 10 - 12 February 2026, ARCFISH joined the 2nd Symposium of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) in Bucharest, held under the banner “Full Sail Ahead Towards the Sustainable Blue Economy”.
The Joint Transnational Call Mid-Term Meeting
Ahead of the Symposium, ARCFISH was presented on 10 February during the 1st Joint Transnational Call Projects Mid-term Meeting.
During this session ARCFISH's coordinator, Dr. Torill Hamre from the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NERSC), highlighted the project’s progress on developing a Digital Twin of the Ocean for Arctic fisheries. The session provided an important opportunity to exchange with fellow co-funded projects, reflect on achievements to date, and discuss common challenges and next steps within the Partnership framework.
Full Sail Ahead at the 2nd SBEP Symposium
On 11 February, ARCFISH joined the SBEP 2026 Symposium, “Full Sail Ahead Towards the Sustainable Blue Economy”, bringing together over 100 stakeholders from research, policy, industry and funding bodies. With a particular focus on the Black Sea, discussions explored how research, policy and market uptake can work together to deliver lasting impact across Europe’s sea basins.
The opening session featured a video address from Victor Negrescu, Member of the European Parliament for Romania, followed by remarks from Andrei Alexandru, President of Romania’s National Research Authority, and Fabio Fava, Advisor to the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research. A keynote by Antonio Borriello (Joint Research Centre) underscored the power, and limitations, of blue economy data in shaping informed decisions. The EU perspective was further highlighted by Andreea Strachinescu (DG MARE), who emphasised cooperation across sea basins as a foundation for sustainable progress.
Among the highlights of the afternoon sessions was Panel 3 – The Market Uptake Challenge: Engaging Industry and Finance. The discussion brought together voices from across the innovation ecosystem, including Peer Fietzek from Kongsberg Discovery (ARCFISH partner), Ingeborg Frøysnes, Special Advisor on Scaleups and AI at Innovation Norway, and Christelle Sapata, Senior Manager at PwC. Together, they explored strategies for bridging the gap between emerging technologies, market adoption, and investment readiness—offering practical perspectives on how research and industry can align to drive sustainable growth.
Showcasing digital innovation for Arctic fisheries
As a co-funded project under the Partnership, ARCFISH presented its work on Arctic fisheries and the Digital Twin of the Ocean. Throughout the day, the team engaged with fellow projects and participants at its poster stand, sharing updates on tools and services designed to enhance operational decision-making in fisheries management.
By integrating oceanographic, fisheries and environmental data into a Digital Twin framework, ARCFISH contributes to improved ecosystem understanding and evidence-based management in Arctic waters. Participation in the Symposium provided an opportunity to explore synergies, strengthen collaboration and discuss scaling pathways for digital innovation within the blue economy.
Strengthening collaboration across the Partnership
Beyond the project showcase, the gathering of the SBEP community offered valuable moments for dialogue, networking and alignment on shared priorities. Discussions centred on how research, policy and market uptake can work together to deliver lasting impact across Europe’s seas.
ARCFISH was delighted to be part of this vibrant community exchange and looks forward to working more closely with partners in the months sailing ahead.
