Advancement Meeting: Strengthening Collaboration and Showcasing Innovations

PROMPT Project Advancement Meeting: Strengthening Collaboration and Showcasing Innovations

Genoa, Italy – February 10-11, 2025

The PROMPT project, aimed at enhancing emergency response capabilities for marine pollution and floating container incidents, marked a significant milestone with its Advancement Meeting held in Genoa, Italy. The two-day event brought together project partners, stakeholders, and the public to review progress, share key findings, and foster collaboration.

Day 1: Internal Meeting – Technical Discussions and Planning

The first day was dedicated to an internal technical meeting attended exclusively by project partners, including UNIGE (University of Genoa), ERI, OEPT, JU-A, WASDI, IHCANTABRIA, and PM_TEN. Led by Prof. Giovanni Besio, the project coordinator, the session focused on:

• Reviewing the progress of project activities.
• Discussing financial management and deliverables.
• Planning the final international meeting, tentatively scheduled for June 2025 in Jordan, Lebanon, or Brussels.

The day concluded with a dinner, providing partners an opportunity to strengthen relationships in an informal setting.

Day 2: Public Meeting – Engaging Stakeholders and Showcasing Results

The second day opened to the public, featuring presentations and interactive discussions at the Sala del Capitano, Palazzo San Giorgio. Key highlights included:

• Project Overview: Prof. Giovanni Besio and Dr. Mattia Scovenna presented the project’s objectives, achievements, and its connection to the earlier BE-READY project, emphasizing its impact on intervention sites in Tripoli (Lebanon), Aqaba (Jordan), and Genoa (Italy).
• Partners’ Contributions:
  • IHCANTABRIA showcased upgrades to the Decision Support System (DSS).
  • PM_TEN highlighted atmospheric modeling techniques for DSS advancement.
  • WASDI demonstrated satellite-based oil spill and floating container detection using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 imagery.
  • JU-A shared dissemination efforts in Jordan, including local language outreach and monitoring measures.
  • OEPT presented real-scale experiments in Tripoli Harbor to improve tracking of floating containers.
  • ERI outlined communication strategies, including social media campaigns and stakeholder engagement.
• Round-Table Discussion: Coordinated by ERI, this interactive session used the Mentimeter platform to gather feedback and foster dialogue on project sustainability.

Key Outcomes

The meeting achieved several critical outcomes:

• Enhanced Visibility: Increased awareness among stakeholders and the public.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Strengthened relationships for future collaboration.
• Disclosure of Innovations: Key technical advancements were shared, paving the way for replicability and broader impact.

Looking Ahead

With the project’s phase-out meeting planned for June 2025, PROMPT continues to advance its mission of improving marine emergency response capabilities. The Genoa meeting underscored the importance of collaboration and innovation in addressing environmental challenges.