AANChOR: All Atlantic Cooperation for Ocean Research and Innovation

The main ambition of AANChOR is to promote the implementation of the South Atlantic Research and Innovation Flagship initiative and the Belém Statement (BS), signed by the EU, Brazil and South Africa in 2017, to upscale research and innovation cooperation within the Atlantic basin, from Antarctica to the Arctic. AANChOR will pursue this ambition by providing the EC and the BS Implementation Committee (to be established by signatories of the Statement) with a framework to identify and contribute to the implementation of concrete long-term collaborative activities, reinforcing international cooperation between Europe and tropical and South Atlantic countries and connecting with the challenges and research needs of the North Atlantic Ocean.

AANChOR will be responsible for launching a multi-stakeholder platform to identify collaborative activities, building on active national and international initiatives such as the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance, and address activities aimed at strengthening capacity building, promoting academia-industry knowledge transfer for further ocean innovation, developing common standards, improving public awareness and ocean literacy, and convergence and alignment of R&D infrastructure initiatives. To contribute to the implementation of the activities
AANChOR will provide funding for the early stages of development of the selected joint pilot actions and support the identification of the most appropriate existing funding mechanisms and tools. for the development of the selected activities.

AANChOR will also define long-term measures for the sustainability of the cooperation framework beyond the life of the CFS. Recognising the evolving nature of BS implementation, flexibility has been built into the CFS structure, allowing for adjustment of its activities where necessary. The consortium brings together partners from 4 European countries, 2 Latin American countries and 2 African countries.