ERA-NET MARitime TEChnologies II

Periodic Report Summary 3 - MARTEC II (ERA-NET MARitime TEChnologies II)

Project Context and Objectives:
The specific objectives of the MARTEC II are:
• To address fragmentation and reduce duplication of research effort on maritime technologies across Europe
• To identify and respond to gaps in research activities
• To create the necessary critical mass in research in certain areas
• To improve the cost-effectiveness of current research programmes
• To develop common standards for the prioritisation, commissioning and evaluation of research proposals and for the subsequent monitoring and evaluation of the research activities
• To improve access to research results across Europe
• To facilitate the establishment of research programmes in Europe wishing to develop research activities in this area
• To contribute to the competitiveness of the European research community in the field of maritime technologies
• To contribute to the competitiveness of the European maritime industry
• To promote international cooperation

The ERA-NET project for “Maritime Technologies II” – called MARTEC II – aims to create an environment of partnership and co-operative activities between Europe’s disparate national maritime research programmes.

The aim of MARTEC is to strengthen the European Research Area in waterborne research by coordinating and developing synergies between national and regional maritime research programmes and policies. The activities included exchange of information and knowledge among national programme owners and programme managers as well as the implementation of distinct joint activities. The network includes representatives from national and regional public authorities competent for public maritime research programmes and support policies.

By 2014, the MARTEC II project had brought together 30 ministries and organisations responsible for funding research in maritime technologies across 25 different European countries. All together these countries represent more than 95 % of the gross tonnage (GT) of shipbuilding output in Europe, which shows that this network already covers the EU key players in maritime technology.

MARTEC II had focused on funding issues and created a network of key funding agencies that improved the way in which maritime technologies research is managed and developed. This network produced a strategy for future research funding, and encouraged the development of transnational programmes of activity able to reflect the needs of the maritime industry.

The main objectives of the third phase of the project were Common Procedures, Coordinated research, Joint activities, and Cooperation and Sustainability issues.

A handbook for project handling was developed within the first project reporting period. An update has been published with each call.

A project database with more than 400 projects of 2008 and later is available already. MARTEC II has discussed the mapping process and the future of the maritime database.

Several calls have been established in MARTEC II. General calls were carried out as planned. Thematic calls can be handled later in connection with other initiatives (JPI Oceans, WATERBORNETP). Brokerage events as a new instrument already attracted more applicants. For the future, in order to make a wider dissemination of the MARTEC II calls, this instrument could also be connected to maritime European events.

A basic picture of national policies was documented already. It was too early to start policy discussion with a limited number of participants. Discussions on European marine/maritime policies should be done together with relevant stakeholders. The discussion on strategic issues will be extended especially with other initiatives like JPI Oceans.

Based on findings with other ERA-NETs a best practice model for long-lasting cooperation will be developed. The aim is to reach an indicative commitment of the funding organisations (MoU) to continue the collaboration based on this model after the end of the ERA-NET project. The new co-funding model can be a good opportunity for future MARTEC II calls.

Project Results:
The network consists of representatives from national and regional public authorities competent for public maritime research programmes and support policies. The objective of this initiative is to strengthen the European Research Area in waterborne research by coordinating and developing synergies between national and regional maritime research programmes and policies. The activities within the third phase (01.01.2014 – 31.12.2014) included work packages 2 to 6.

Work package 1 was finalised during the last reporting period. Efficient project management procedures incl. common call procedures, application, evaluation, common monitoring and reporting, dissemination as well as information exchange between project partners were documented in several deliverables and in a project management handbook of MARTEC II. The deliverables D1.1 - D1.4 were submitted via ECAS in the earlier period. A handbook for projects handling was finalised within the second project reporting period. The former call text was integrated into the handbook. The handbook can still be used for new call documents.

In work package 2 a programme database and the project database were finalised. The MARTEC II programme database includes several programmes. Some of the partners updated their national programme information from time to time. The online project database with more than 400 projects of 2008 and later is available by username and password (D2.2). The mapping process was finished during the last project period.

The main activities were done in work package 3. The joint call procedures were improved call by call (D3.4 D3.6). The call 2014 was the most successful call of MARTEC II. 14 countries participated in that call and 22 proposals were delivered. Thematic calls were not done because of different reasons. MARTEC II open calls reached the critical mass (< 20) of projects in the end of the project. MARTEC II calls with a single topic would probably not attract enough applicants at the moment.

There were four MARTEC II meetings during the one year reporting period. A brokerage event in Turku/Finland in January, a programme managers meeting in Turku in February, a workshop in Trondheim/Norway in June and a steering committee meeting in Papenburg/Germany in September.

Partners discussed with other networks within the work package 4. Strategies for future cooperation were recommended within the different tasks. An exchange of representatives to different meetings of WATERBORNETP and JPI Oceans (D4.1 – D4.5) were done.

The MARTEC II web pages, presentations of MARTEC II at different conferences/meetings and brokerage events were the main dissemination instruments.
Potential Impact:
Main Achievements of MARTEC:
• The only European Network for maritime technologies: shipbuilding, maritime equipment and services, environmental and climate impact, shipping, offshore technologies, fishing and aquaculture, etc.
• 17 partners and 13 observers from 25 countries are participating
• Annual calls since 2008 were carried out
• 25 funded projects with total funds of 24 Mio. € and total costs of 38 Mio. € since 2008
• Call 2014 with 22 proposals with total funds of 22 Mio. € and total costs of 34 Mio. € (8 proposals are in final negotiations)
• Project database with more than 400 national and European maritime projects since 2008

Four MARTEC II calls were established during the duration of the project. All calls based on a one stage proce¬dure. 14 transnational projects were funded from three calls in the first phase of MARTEC between 2008 and 2010. Further 11 transnational projects were funded in the first three calls of MARTEC II. The negotiations for the call 2014 are not finished at the moment, but it seems that 8 further transnational projects will be funded from that call, which means that it will be the most successful MARTEC call since 2008.

Each of the 22 proposals submitted to the call 2014 were evaluated by three evaluators. The topics were: navigation, arctic azimuth thrusters, intermodal transport, container tracking/monitoring, vessel container feeder system, tidal stream energy, propulsion and its hydrodynamic, CFD, wast- and recycling, integrated ship management, vibroacoustic noise, VTS, offshore wind energy, port logistics, LNG barges, unmanned surface vehicles, shipbuilding, fuel and corrosion.
A first step regarding dissemination was the establishment of the web page and the project database. Within this task dissemination efforts of the individual research project results are planned which has been partly carried out during the brokerage events. Such events were used to enhance the cooperation of researchers, cluster companies and other stakeholders. Most partners disseminated MARTEC II in their countries through specific networking events, meetings with the stakeholders and via their own web pages (see report D6.22 - Dissemination and exploitation 2011 – 2014).
List of Websites:
www.martec-era.net

Periodic Report Summary 3 - MARTEC II (ERA-NET MARitime TEChnologies II)

Related documents

Other report summaries

Share this page

Download