The 2nd Atlantic Steering Committee (ASC) Meeting took place on 30 April 2026 in Gijón, Spain, bringing together institutional representatives, experts, and partners of the Atlantic Strategy.
The meeting featured the presentation of an Atlantic Success Case, showcasing the SMarAI – Smart Maritime AI project, presented by the Spanish Maritime Safety Agency and the Jovellanos Training Centre. The project highlighted the role of digital innovation and artificial intelligence in enhancing maritime safety and operational capabilities, prompting a dynamic exchange of questions and discussions among participants.
Another key session focused on the Ocean Observation landscape in Spain, during which the Director of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography shared lessons learned and outlined future challenges. This intervention underlined the importance of scientific data in supporting evidence‑based maritime policymaking.
As in the previous meeting, the Atlantic Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Community of Practice was again discussed, with particular focus on the development of its Terms of Reference and an exchange involving all participants, namely the ASC National Coordinators.
Further discussions included the presentation of the upcoming Atlantic–WestMed Conference and joint Awards, reinforcing synergies between the two sea basins and promoting the recognition of best practices. The conference will take place on 15–16 September (link). In addition, the Pillar Coordinators’ election process and a presentation by CINEA on calls and funding opportunities were also addressed.
In the afternoon session, a state‑of‑play update on the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0 review was presented by Ramboll, enabling the Steering Committee to follow the progress of the review process and discuss upcoming milestones.
The programme also included a guided visit to the oceanographic research vessel “Odón de Buen”, operated by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO‑CSIC), offering participants direct insight into cutting‑edge scientific infrastructure before the closing lunch.
