During the 2nd Meeting of 2024 of the Atlantic Strategy Committee (ASC), held on June 25th at IFREMER in Nantes, the new Pillar Coordinators for 2024-2026 were elected. After two years of remarkable work carried out by Carlos Botana Lagarón for Pillar I, Ana Noronha for Pillar II, Kerrie Sheenan for Pillar III, and Philip Monbet for Pillar IV, we are excited to announce the new coordinators who will lead the pillars for the next two years.
Carlos Botana Lagarón, representing Spain, has been re-elected as the coordinator for Pillar I: Ports as Gateways and Hubs for the Blue Economy. Carlos, currently the Head of Sustainability, has led this pillar with notable success, organizing and participating in workshops that have significantly progressed the goals of this pillar.
Céline Liret, representing France, has been elected as the coordinator for Pillar II: Blue Skills of the Future and Ocean Literacy. Céline is the Scientific Director of Partnerships and International Relations at Océanopolis and holds a PhD in Oceanography from the European Institute of the Sea at the Université de Bretagne Occidentale. Her extensive research and contributions, including her work on bottlenose dolphins which led to the creation of France's first marine national park, make her an outstanding choice for this role.
Emer
Dennehy, representing Ireland, has been elected as the coordinator for Pillar III: Marine Renewable Energy. Emer is the Programme Manager for Offshore Renewable Energy at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). With nearly 15 years of experience in analyzing energy systems and her involvement in Horizon Europe and Interreg funded projects, Emer is well-equipped to lead this pillar, building on the significant work already accomplished.
Eduar
do Silva, representing Portugal, has been elected as the coordinator for Pillar IV: Healthy Ocean and Resilient Coasts. Eduardo is the Coordinator of the TEC4SEA platform at INESC TEC and is responsible for the Leixões I Blue Hub (HAL). His work in establishing infrastructures for testing technologies in ocean engineering, maritime logistics, and blue biotechnology, along with his contributions to ocean renewable energies and ecosystem protection, make him an excellent choice for this role.
We congratulate all the newly elected Pillar Coordinators and look forward to their leadership in advancing the Atlantic Strategy Committee's goals over the next two years.