Study of the maritime environment and promotion of practices that make nautical activity, port development, and environmental preservation compatible.
The emblematic Clock Building at the Port of Valencia has hosted the presentation of the Inter-University Chair of the Sea and Sustainability of the Nautical Sector, an initiative in which the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) plays a central role as a scientific and technological engine.
Driven by Marina Port Valencia together with the UPV, the University of Alicante (UA) and with the collaboration of the Port Authority of Valencia, the Chair will promote research, innovation and scientific dissemination related to the marine environment, the nautical sector and its transition towards more sustainable management models.
During the presentation ceremony of the Inter-University Chair of the Sea and the Sustainability of the Nautical Sector, the following intervened Elena de la Poza, Vice Rector for Employment, Lifelong Learning and Languages of the UPV who highlighted the institution’s strong commitment to marine research and sustainability; Patrick Reynés, CEO of Marina Port Valencia; Juan Llopis, director of Institutional Relations and Projects at the UA; and the co-directors of the Chair, César Bordehore (UA) and Jaime Lloret, professor of the Department of Communications and researcher at the Institute for Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IGIC) of the UPV.
The Mediterranean, a living laboratory
The Inter-University Chair of the Sea and the Sustainability of the Nautical Sector was created as a meeting point for universities, companies, administrations and agents of the marine ecosystem. Its strategic lines are oriented to address key challenges such as the decarbonization of the nautical sector, the blue economy, the intelligent management of waste and water resources, environmental education and innovation in clean technologies.
The scientific team of the Chair will be led by professors Bordehore (UA), expert in marine ecology, and Lloret (UPV), specialized in digitization and telecommunications applied to the marine environment. During the intervention of the directors of the Chair, Jaime Lloret highlighted the development of new technologies capable of measuring in real time key parameters of the marine environment, such as hydrocarbons, pH, water speed or presence and movement of fish, to transfer these solutions to the marine sector and improve the management of the environment.
The two university institutions join forces to promote multidisciplinary projects that reinforce knowledge transfer and collaboration between academic and private entities. In addition, they will promote scholarships for undergraduate and master’s degree students, as well as awards for final projects aimed at research and the development of new solutions.