EurOcean Executive-Director, Ned Dwyer, presented on how a multi-disciplinary international research centre in the Azores would fit within the ecosystem of European Marine Research Infrastructure, as part of the ongoing series of workshops on “Atlantic Interactions: Knowledge, Climate Change, Space and Oceans”. The latest workshop was held on September 19^th at the Portuguese Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels. It was organised with the help of EurOcean member FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) and opened by Manuel Heitor, Portuguese Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education.

Among the speakers was the Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moedas who said the same vision was now required as that of King Afonso IV in the 1300s who sponsored a mapping exercise which led to the discovery of the Azores by the Portuguese. 

As well as speakers representing different sectoral interests in Portugal itself, there were contributions from the USA; Brazil, Spain, France, Norway and Ireland demonstrating the wide International interest and excitement surrounding the Azores International Research Centre. Further workshops are planned in Brazil and South Africa in the coming months in order to consolidate the International dimension of the initiative which hopes to see the first investments in infrastructure coming on stream in 2017.