Maritime Alliance for fostering the European Blue Economy through a Marine Technology Skilling Strategy

MATES’ objective is to develop a skills strategy that addresses the main drivers of change in the maritime industry, with a specific focus on the shipbuilding and offshore renewable energy sectors. Both sectors are strongly linked and require new capacities to succeed in an increasingly challenging digital, green and knowledge driven economy.

MATES is tackling these challenges head-on, building on the premise of partnership – or a Sectoral Skills Alliance – between industry and academia. As part of this alliance, MATES is identifying the current and future skills shortages in both sectors and addressing these through a series of 11 Pilot Experiences which will be showcased at https://www.projectmates.eu/pilot-experiences/. The Pilot Experiences will act as case studies and demonstrate the viability of the solutions identified, thus creating a platform for a long-term action plan.

In addition, MATES will carry out a robust dissemination and outreach plan to increase the attractiveness of careers in the shipbuilding and offshore renewable energy sectors, while also ensuring future adoption of the MATES strategy. The project also has a strong Ocean Literacy focus combining efforts from education and science communities with industry, society and administration to widen the perspective of relevant knowledge and skills and increase opportunities for the labour force in an industry-led strategy. 

Project partners

• Centro Tecnológico del Mar – Fundación CETMAR, Coordinator (ES);
• Asociación de Industriales Metalúrgicos de Galicia (ES);
• CT INGENIEROS A.A.I., S.L. (ES);
• Aquatera Limited (UK);
• Indigo-Med (EL);
• Aqualex Multimedia Consortium Ltd. (IE);
• AquaTT UETP CLG (IE);
• Fórum Oceano – Associação da Economia do Mar (PT);
• Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Azores, PT);
• Universiteit Gent (BE);
• WEGEMT Foundation – EU Marine University Association (NL);
• COSNAV Engineering S.R.L. (IT);
• Universiteit van Amsterdam (NL);
• Universidad de A Coruña (ES);
• Ethniko Kentro Erevnas kai Technologikis Anaptyxis (EL);
• Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria (ES);
• University of Strathclyde (UK).