SEA-EU will take part in BlueZone Forum InnovAzul 2026 in Cádiz from 28 to 30 October. Its programme examines blue-economy training and cross-border innovation before a closing forum on putting ocean research to work in public policy.
On Thursday 29 October, SEA-EU’s programme moves from maritime skills to European innovation, then closes with a forum on the public impact of ocean research. All three sessions are scheduled at the Palacio de Congresos de Cádiz as part of Blue Zone Forum InnovAzul 2026, which runs from 28 to 30 October. The forum’s fourth edition is jointly organized by the Zona Franca de Cádiz and the University of Cádiz, with CEI·Mar and SEA-EU as collaborators. It focuses on the sustainable use of marine resources and new maritime economic activity. Its scope includes research and technology, as well as entrepreneurship and employment.
The alliance, coordinated by the University of Cádiz, brings together nine coastal universities. UCA and Zona Franca de Cádiz are driving the event, with support from CEIMAR. SEA-EU is also a supporting partner. The two Cádiz institutions first brought their related initiatives together in 2024; the 2026 forum is their second joint edition.
The first session, Blue Skills & Training Programs, begins at 12:00. It will consider how universities can adapt courses to the skills sought by the blue economy. The discussion draws on the European Commission’s Union of Skills, which puts improving and updating skills at the centre of its talent strategy.
SEA-EU’s examples include the joint international master’s programmes STORM and MIPMAL, alongside a catalogue of microcredentials designed to let learners update their skills flexibly in connection with the maritime sector. University and business representatives will join students to discuss how course provision can better match labour-market needs. The forum’s employment fair, also scheduled for Thursday 29 October, is expected to offer more than 30 job and internship opportunities. Fields include naval engineering and environmental consultancy, along with offshore work and scientific research. The fair will also feature underwater robotics and marine technologies.
At 13:00, ‘Blue Economy & Territories: Towards a Blue Innovation Ecosystem i+Blue’ will examine ways to connect universities with companies and public institutions across different territories. International participants include representatives from the University of Bodø in Norway. The session will focus on the role universities can play in maritime innovation and regional development. A related example of making specialist data accessible appeared in a Canary Islands sports-data project.
The day’s final session, ‘SEA-EU Future Leadership Forum’, is set for 15:30. Representatives from the scientific and maritime sectors are expected from Spain and Italy, with Portugal also represented. The discussion will address how ocean research can inform society and economic activity, as well as public policy. Its stated links are to Sustainable Development Goals 14, Life Below Water, and 17, Partnerships for the Goals. The wider InnovAzul programme also includes sessions on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, followed by sustainable coastal tourism and marine ecotourism. Other topics include maritime-transport decarbonization and green ports.
Organizers reported on 23 October that registrations had reached almost 2,000, a record for the event. The forum’s three-day programme also includes B2R Azul, a knowledge- and technology-transfer space connecting university research with marine and maritime companies. Its schedule covers university-business collaboration and technology-transfer tools, alongside presentations of CEI·Mar projects. A Fair of Ocean-Culture Resources for young researchers is also on the programme.
