The Director of the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN), José Joaquín Hernández Brito, took part in the first meeting of the Advisory Board of the Impact4Mar – Socio-Ecological Impact Assessment in the Atlantic Maritime Sector project, an Interreg Atlantic Area initiative aimed at providing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the maritime sector with tools to assess their sustainability-related impacts, risks and opportunities.
Held online, the meeting brought together representatives from the Atlantic maritime ecosystem to present the project’s approach and initial progress, while gathering early recommendations on how it can support the sustainable transition of maritime SMEs.
As a member of the Advisory Board, PLOCAN will contribute the perspective of a Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructure (ICTS) specialising in marine and maritime research, innovation and scientific services. Its participation will provide the project with expertise in international cooperation and the practical application of scientific knowledge and technology in ocean environments.
Impact4Mar aims to accelerate the sustainable transition of maritime SMEs across the Atlantic Area by developing tools and methodologies to assess impacts, risks and opportunities from a corporate sustainability perspective.
The project promotes a common approach for the participating regional maritime ecosystems. Its main activities include analysing current impact, risk and opportunity assessment practices within the maritime sector; designing and validating a suite of practical tools through pilot projects involving maritime SMEs; and disseminating and maximising the uptake of project results through a digital platform and intensive training programmes.
Impact4Mar is coordinated by the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest and brings together organisations from Ireland, France, Portugal and Spain. Running from November 2025 to April 2028, the project has a total budget of €1.43 million and receives €1.07 million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
