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Voices vides the joined-up approach required to operationalize initia- Horizon 2020 tives across Government Departments. Since the launch of the At EU level, there has been considerable support for Irish strategy, the Industrial Development Authority of Ireland, the researchers and SMEs involved in the marine sector through body responsible for attracting inward investment to Ireland, Horizon 2020 (H2020), the ? nancial instrument that is imple- has established a marine pillar to its strategy as part of its ‘new menting the Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 ? agship ini- forms of investments’ team. tiative aimed at securing Europe’s global competitiveness. In “This partnership approach, with the support of the Marine 2016, based on the latest information available, Irish research-

Development Team, ensures that suitable projects will move ers and SMEs obtained almost 6.7 million in funding for ma- more smoothly from concept to reality for international busi- rine-related H2020 projects ranging from algal biore? neries, nesses and local enterprises through having the best team tidal turbine technologies, marine technology co-funds and available drawn from the different organizations and with shared access to marine renewable facilities across Europe.

the required expertise. These business opportunities are also “Irish researchers won 3.6% of the available funding for being underpinned by a new marine research and innovation Blue Growth topics in the 2015 results announced by the Eu- strategy as outlined in Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth and the ropean Commission for Horizon 2020 Societal Challenge 2, new national innovation strategy – Innovation 2020 – support- and this rises to 4.6% when marine-related topics in sustain- ing Ireland’s ambitions to be a world innovation leader. This able food security are considered. This is becoming a con- identi? es the interventions required to build research and in- sistent pattern, with Irish marine researchers winning more novation capacity across key areas based on a maturity model European competitive funding than would be expected from of expertise in the identi? ed sectors,” she said. a country our size. Ireland also has the highest success rate

A multi-national team of European, Canadian and U.S. ocean exploration experts led by Thomas

Furey of the Marine Institute has revealed previously uncharted features on the Atlantic seabed.

The expedition crossed the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, creating a 3D visualization of a 3.7km-high underwater mountain.

Graphic: INFOMAR and the Marine Institute

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