On May 11-12, 2026, Cyprus hosted “Riding the Wave: Advancing the EU Ocean Pact through Science, Innovation and Cooperation”, a high-level conference organised by the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI), the Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence, and the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Bringing together scientists, policymakers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and civil society representatives, the event explored how research, innovation and collaboration can help shape a sustainable future for Europe’s ocean.

The ECOP Programme at EU Ocean Days: Shaping the Future of the Blue Sector

The Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP) Programme gathered for the European Ocean Days (March 2–6) in Brussels. Throughout the week, the team played a central role in advocating for the next generation of ocean professionals, specifically during the “Inspiring the Next Generation of Blue Careers” session at SPARKS.

ECOP-led side events at PICES 2025: Yokohama Marine Park Visit and Tour to JAMSTEC Authors: Hana Matsubara, Kotaro Tanaka, Raphael Roman, Takahito Ikenoue, Satomi Takagi, Toya Hirokawa, Yuan Lin, Shojiro

From Shenzhen to Xiamen: Second Blue Wave Conference to Inspire ECOPs Shenghui Li (Guangdong Ocean University, China; ECOP-China) The Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP) Programme under the UN Ocean Decade

Everything in me wants the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France to be a wild success, with countries committing heart and soul to protecting the ocean, organisations forging connections and

Hi Hannah, thanks so much for joining us on the ECOP Programme blog!  Can you tell us what exactly is SeaVoice? SeaVoice is a storytelling platform run by the Cultural