Marina Port Valencia boosts a research center based on technologies applied to marine environment

The 'Cátedra del Mar', is boosted by Marina Port Valencia, and has the collaboration of the Technical University of Valencia, Alicante's University and the Portuary Authority of Valencia.

The Press Room of the iconic Building of the Clock has been witness of an encounter that has gathered representatives of the academic, scientific, business and portuary field, where the signature of the accord of the 'Cátedra del Mar' has taken place:  'Centro de Innovación en Nuevas Tecnologías y Medio Marino', a pioneer project boosted by Marina Port Valencia alongside the Technical University of Valencia, Alicante's University and with the collaboration of the Portuary Authority of Valencia.

The 'Cátedra del Mar' is born with the goal of turning the Mediterranean into a natural lab of innovation, sustainability and technological development for the nautical sector, reinforcing this way the commitment of Marina Port Valencia as a model of responsible management of the marine environment. The presentation act has had the intervention of Patrick Reynés, CEO of Marina Port Valencia; Elena de la Poza, vice rector of Employment, Permanent Training and Languages of the UPV; Juan Llopis, Director of Relations and Instituional Project of Alicante's University; and the co-directors of the Cátedra, Jaime Lloret and César Bordehore. The institutional closure has been in charge of Luis Fernando Sánchez Villena, head of Public Domain of the Portuary Authority of Valencia.

The initiative is set inside the ambitious renovation project of Marina Port Valencia, that will transform the space into a port-city integration environment with specialized areas, coworking spaces, leisure areas and an open boatyard, reinforcing the position of Valencia as an international nautical destination and as reference in sustainability. 

The 'Cátedra del Mar' has the goal of boosting research, innovation and scientific outreach in the responsible management of the marine environment and the nautical activities. In addition, it aims to boost practices that integrate environmental, economic and social sustainability and to turn into an encounter space between universities, businesses, administrations and agents of the marine ecosystem to treat key challenges such as the decarbonization of the nautical sector, blue economy, intelligent managament of waste and hydric resources, environmental education and innovation in clean technologies.

Durng the  first years, the 'Cátedra' will develop a sustainable initiatives map in marinas of the Mediterranean and a technical report regarding the decarbonization of the sector. It will initiate vocational training programs for managers and nautical companies, a pilot project of ecological restoration to improve marine and land biodiversity and a social perception stufy regarding nautical sustainability that will end with a free access manual of good practices.

The scientific team is led by professor Jaime Lloret, from the UPV, specialized in digitalization and telecommunications applied to the marine environment, and by professor César Bordehore, of the UA, a referent in marine ecology. Collaborations such as the one of Dr. Belén Fouz Rodríguez, Dr. José Tena Medialdea, Dr. Esteban Morelle Hungría, Dr. Fernando de Rojas Martínez-Parets and professionals of the Oceanographic, whose knowledge regard key areas such as biodiversity, conservation, applied research and blue economy, are added.

During the intervention of the directors of the 'Cátedra', Jaime Lloret pointed out the development of new technologies capable of measuring key parameters of the marine environment in real time, such as hydrocarbons, pH, water's speed or presence and movement of fish with the goal of tranferring these solutions to the nautical sector and improving the environment's management. On his behalf, César Bordehore highlighted the importance of understanding and modelizing complex biological systems, such as the behavior of jellyfish, as well as the need of recovering marine ecosystems and boosting the sensibilization through educational initiatives.

The event has ended with a cocktail served by Gourmet Catering, that has had the collaboration of Asindown, adding a social value to the celebration and reinforcing the integrating and responsible nature that defines this initiative.