The “GEAR-UP” initiative, is a joint action driven by the triad of sister projects MarineGuardian, EcoCatch, and Sea4Future, has reached a key milestone with its official endorsement under the UN Ocean Decade. The recognition, combined with a strong presence at European Ocean Days, highlights the growing role of coordinated, cross-project collaboration in advancing sustainable ocean solutions.
UN Ocean Decade Endorses GEAR-UP
The endorsement of GEAR-UP under the UN Ocean Decade marks an important step for the triad, formally recognizing the joint efforts of MarineGuardian (Led by Matís), EcoCatch (Led by DTU Aqua), and Sea4Future (led by University of Alicante) in advancing innovative fishing gear solutions through a collaborative framework.
By bringing together three complementary projects, the initiative demonstrates how clustering expertise across regions and disciplines can accelerate progress toward shared ocean sustainability goals. The endorsement not only validates the scientific and practical relevance of the work but also positions the triad within a global network of initiatives contributing to the Ocean Decade vision.
European Ocean Days: Interactive Innovation at the EU Mission Forum
The triad’s momentum continued at European Ocean Days, where their work was prominently featured during the EU Mission Forum on March 2nd. Represented by Cesar Bordehore (University of Alicante) and Caecilia Managò (ICES) at a joint stand, the three projects showcased jointly their solutions to a diverse audience of policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders.
A key highlight of the stand was the use of interactive augmented reality (AR) goggles, which allowed visitors to engage directly with innovative fishing gear solutions in an immersive environment. This hands-on experience brought the projects’ work to life, illustrating how innovation can translate into practical applications and reinforcing the value of presenting joint outcomes rather than isolated project results.
From Actions to Impact: Presenting a Clustering Approach
On March 3rd, Caecilia Managò presented the triad in the workshop “From Actions to Impact: Tracking the progress of EU Mission ‘Ocean and Waters’,” with a focus on the clustering approach for impact maximisation. By working as a cohesive unit, the triad demonstrates how collaborative frameworks can improve efficiency, scalability, and policy relevance.
At the European Ocean Days, Massimiliano Nannini from Liguria Region and City of Genova, Italy, remarked:
“We have heard from so many projects, but we need to see how we can bring these together to foster impact.”
With the TRIAD, the team already puts this concept into practice through clustering—addressing the joint challenge of strengthening sustainable fisheries and protecting marine ecosystems through close collaboration.
This clustering approach was presented as a practical example of how aligning projects can amplify results, moving beyond individual outcomes toward system-wide impact within the EU Mission “Ocean and Waters.”
Strengthening Collaboration for Ocean Solutions
Together, the UN Ocean Decade endorsement and the triad’s active participation at European Ocean Days underline the importance of collaboration in tackling complex ocean challenges.
This is also strengthen by the policy brief on Horizon project clustering for impact led by Ivo Grigorov, edited by Caecilia Managò and where multiple colleagues contributed which explicitly support multiple AAORIA priorities on research and cooperation between Atlantic states.