Meet Fórum Oceano

Fórum Oceano is the managing entity of the Portuguese Sea Cluster, whose mission is to promote and improve the Blue Economy in Portugal, supporting the sustainable development of the country’s maritime country, promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and cooperation between entities in this sector.

We chatted with Rúben Eiras, Secretary General of Fórum Oceano, who talked about the collaboration with INESC TEC; Fórum Oceano is part of the INESCTEC.OCEAN project consortium, focusing on the development of emerging areas during the upcoming years.

What is the connection between Fórum Oceano and INESC TEC? 

 It is a symbiotic relationship that stems from the mutual development of organisations as engines of acceleration of the technological and business ecosystem of the national Blue Economy, with the epicentre in the Northern region. 

 In fact, the North region of our country is the technological hotspot of the Portuguese Blue Economy. Considering these creative dynamics with industrial potential, INESC TEC has established itself as a key player in the generation of critical knowledge in interdisciplinary ocean engineering, with technically reliable solutions and innovative profiles. 

 Solutions that cross structural engineering and electrotechnics with marine biology. Because the sea is not only about biology and oceanography, but also about engineering. 

 But the only way for Portugal to truly benefit from ocean industry is through efficient and sustainable solutions for profitable operations… and this is where Fórum Oceano comes in. 

 As the official managing body of the Portuguese ocean competitiveness cluster, and in liaison with INESC TEC, Fórum Oceano seeks to deepen the interdisciplinarity of technological production, promoting matchmaking with the various ranks of the national and international sea economy. 

 Still, our main mission is matchmaking with the entrepreneurial and financial domains to turn INESC TEC’s scientific-technological excellence into new Blue Economy products and services with significant sales in the global market. 

Meeting entrepreneurs and investors to transform INESC TEC’s technology into sales champions of sophisticated technological products – this is the role of Fórum Oceano. It is a very demanding operational marathon, with significant thoroughness, resilience and strategic persistence. 

INESC TEC will lead the INESCTEC.OCEAN project, in collaboration with Fórum Oceano and other partners. How do you perceive this opportunity to promote the development of emerging sectors over the next six years? 

 It is a unique opportunity with high added value, as we will work in partnership with SINTEF OCEAN, one of the most prestigious technology development centres for Norwegian maritime industries, also interdisciplinary in nature. 

We’re talking about an unparalleled occasion, precisely because SINTEF OCEAN agreed to integrate this consortium with their eyes set on the Northern region, as a potential basis for internationalisation in the European and global markets.  

With a focus on internationalisation, we want Norwegian companies and technologies in a territory where there are no industrial incumbents and where they can improve, together with Portuguese companies. 

What are the main goals of this Centre of Excellence for Ocean Engineering? 

 Pragmatically speaking, the main strategic goal (and window of opportunity) of INESTEC.OCEAN/Centre of Excellence is to assert itself as a hotbed of blue business joint ventures based on scientific excellence between Portugal and Norway, bringing together the talent and capital of Norwegian and Portuguese entrepreneurs, researchers and investors. 

 Hence, over the next six years, Fórum Oceano will focus on fostering the creation of start-ups and venture-building based on INESC TEC and SINTEF technologies and promoting the port space of the Administração dos Portos do Douro, Leixões e Viana do Castelo, as the area of excellence for testing new technologies and setting up new companies. 

Since the Northern region is a Regional Innovation Valley, specialised in Ocean Renewable Energies, this will be the first value chain in which INESTEC.OCEAN will operate.   

In your opinion, how do you perceive the future of the Blue Economy in Portugal? 

Promising, as long as all conditions necessary to entrepreneurship and investment in Portuguese sea are met: clear and predictable licensing, intermediate bodies, functional European fund managers, concrete governance of the open coastline and an adequate degree of Blue Economy literacy in the Portuguese population, so they understand the effective strategic importance of making investments for national sovereignty, e.g., offshore wind energy.  

Based on this record of collaboration, how do you rate your experience with INESC TEC? 

 As a value creation multiplier! It is no coincidence that INESC TEC is one of the most senior members of Fórum Oceano, serving as Vice-President of our Board. 

 INESC TEC is an institution with a DNA like Fórum Oceano: it is not afraid of demanding seas and when the challenge is tough, they keep on sailing forward.