The project EUROFLEETS – “Towards an alliance of European research fleets” - funded by the European Commission in the 7th Framework program was launched on 20-22 September, with a meeting of about 100 scientists and fleet operators in Paris. VLIZ is one of the 24 partners.

The European Commission finances EUROFLEETS during the coming four years with 7.2 million Euros. The project is coordinated by the French research institute Ifremer. The project networks a substancial group of key actors within the European marien research community. 24 partners from 16 member states of the European Union or associated countries participated to further advance the networking of the European research fleets. Despite the development of satellites and autonomous buoys, oceanographic vessels and underwater vehicles remain essential means to acquire scientific data essential for the progress of ocean knowledge. These infrastructures represent 40 to 50 % of the cost of research in marine sciences. The EUROFLEETS project is based on the recommendations formulated in the ESF/Marine Board Position Paper 10: “European Ocean Research Fleets - Towards a Common Strategy and Enhanced Use”, published in March 2007. This publication pleads for a better cooperation between the European vessels, the associated equipment and technologies, the exchange of scientific and technican teams, and the common development of software and sensors. EUROFLEET's 24 partners aim to develop, among other things, a mutual strategy for future investment needs, guidelines for environmentally friendly research and better interoperability of the infrastructure.

VLIZ will participate in the development of a strategic vision on the European reasearch fleet. It will also contribute to the development of a system to grant access for marine scientists and technologists on vessels, working out of the scope of national frameworks. The VLIZ coordinates a working package to develop recommendations on the construction of ecologically friendly European regional research vessels.

More information on the project will be made available through the website www.eurofleets.eu.

Contact person within VLIZ for the EUROFLEET-project is André Cattrijsse:
tel: +32-(0)59-34 21 39)
mobile: +32-(0)474-83 51 02
email: andre.cattrijsse@vliz.be