VLIZ on Ostend at Anchor 2023 – Blue Innovation Village
Interested to learn more about innovations linked to the sea during the Belgian four-day maritime festival Ostend at Anchor? Then come to the Blue Innovation Village on the square near Mercator, opposite Ostend Town Hall. Various companies and organisations from the blue economy will present a wide range of innovative projects, services and products. Be sure to drop by the VLIZ booth, where you can get to know our marine robots and high-tech measuring devices, which we deploy daily from the research vessel RV Simon Stevin. We will also take you into the wonderful world of underwater sound. Support the Sea as a Good Cause and lose yourself in our goodies from the Sea&Science collection.
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©Toerisme Oostende
The sea is often associated with traditional economic activities such as fishing and shipping. In practice, the sea is becoming increasingly important for other economic sectors that are committed to a circular economy and see opportunities for 'blue growth'. The best-known example is the construction of wind farms a few kilometres from the coast. Similarly, people are growing seaweed, mussels and oysters at sea, and considering new ways of coastal protection that involve more nature and less concrete. These new economic developments are very diverse, but at present often insufficiently known to the general public. In the Blue Innovation Village at Ostend at Anchor, you can get to know in detail the companies and other organisations that are working on this.
Ostend at Anchor is one of the largest maritime festivals along the North Sea. You will find a maritime market and numerous authentic ships from all over the world, all free to visit. Although the focus of Ostend at Anchor is traditionally on the maritime past, the Blue Innovation Village wants to emphasise that the sea will continue to play an important role in our economic system in the future. Besides VLIZ, ILVO, the Antwerp Maritime Academy, UGent, KU Leuven, UAntwerpen, VUB and a lot of maritime companies active in the Belgian North Sea will also be present!
At the VLIZ booth, our colleagues will highlight the major marine infrastructures that the VLIZ deploys daily from the RV Simon Stevin. Think of marine robotics and high-tech measuring devices. In terms of research, we will take you into the wonderful world of underwater sound. Did you know that crabs and fish also produce sound? Be sure to drop by and test your knowledge of underwater sounds. Ostend at Anchor is also the perfect opportunity to get in touch with The Sea as a Good Cause, the VLIZ's charity operation. And who knows, you might be interested in one of the goodies from our Sea&Science collection?
Ostend at Anchor 2023 is a free and publicly accessible event. Just come off between 10am and 6pm.