News

On April 15–17 this year, another project meeting was held in Tbilisi, Georgia, within the framework of the project “Establishing and Operating an Innovative Marine Technology Transfer Network for Enhancing the Transition to a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Black Sea Basin” (EfxINNOs), funded by the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme. The event was organized by Ilia State University.

The meeting lasted three days and included the following activities: a project partner meeting, a meeting with stakeholders and all interested parties in the sector, and a workshop for young researchers. Each activity was also conducted in a hybrid format.

From the Georgian side, participants included representatives of Universities , non-governmental organizations, and the industrial sector. During the event, a press conference was also held, where the scientific coordinators of the EfxINNOs project from different countries presented the preliminary results of the research.

Young researchers who participated in the workshop were selected through an open registration process. Participants represented various organizations  in Georgia, as well as Istanbul Technical University, Democritus University of Thrace, and the University of Thessaloniki.

All partner countries and organizations actively contributed to each meeting. Future plans were outlined, and highly interesting presentations were delivered both for professionals interested in the field and for young researchers.

The broader aim of the project is to develop and operate a cost-effective, innovative, and sustainable network of marine monitoring platforms. With partners from Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, and Georgia, the project fosters regional cooperation and contributes to the growth of marine innovation across the Black Sea region.

Funded by Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin and co-funded by the European Union with a total budget of € 1,643,648.40, the initiative represents an important step forward for Georgia and the entire Black Sea Basin—bridging scientific research, education, and environmental sustainability to support the development of a robust blue economy.

The research activities are ongoing.

2026