Current attempts to engage industry as users or providers of marine data are insufficient to fully unlock the wealth of European marine observations and data for blue growth. This workshop will discuss the challenges and benefits of public-private collaboration towards data acquisition and sharing. Drawing from initiatives such as WOC’s Smart Ocean Smart Industries program, MAREANO project, H2020 Columbus and the EMODnet Data Intestion Facility the workshop will identify best practices to promote industry-public collaborations and facilitate the uptake of data from private sector. It will set the stage for the follow-on workshop Blue Growth Data Challenge Part 2: Offshore Energy Case Studies.

A spotlight on the EMODnet latest results with a focus on EMODnet Bathymetry data and products.

Secretariat progress updates provide a summary overview of the main highlights, most recent advances and remaining challenges faced by all EMODnet partners in their efforts to develop EMODnet. This update is largely based on the bi-monthly reports of the thematic and regional lots covering May-June, supplemented with additional information from the Secretariat.

The European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet), funded by the Financial regulation for the Integrated Maritime Policy, has reached the end of second year of development Phase II (2013-2016). There is now a central portal providing access to data portals covering bathymetry, geology, physics, chemistry, biology, habitats and human activities in European seas. Thematic data portals, a coastal mapping project and a complete set of six sea)basin checkpoints are coordinating their activities through a Steering Committee supported by the EMODnet Secretariat. This post provides a summary of progress made in the second year of EMODnet Phase II.