Periodic Reporting for period 4 - AORAC-SA (Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance Support Action)
Reporting period: 2019-09-01 to 2020-02-29
The Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance Coordination and Support Action (AORA-CSA) was established through funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement Number 652677. The AORA-CSA supports the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance (AORA) implement the Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation. The AORA-CSA offers financial, logistical, administrative, technical and scientific supports to help smooth the path to progressing and advancing the aims of the AORA.
Recognizing the evolving nature of the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance (AORA), the key characteristics of this coordination and support action is that the partnership be flexible, responsive, inclusive, efficient, innovative, value-adding and supportive to the EC Directorate General for Research and Innovation – the lead organisation in the European Union responsible for the implementation of the Galway Statement.
Recognizing the evolving nature of the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance (AORA), the key characteristics of this coordination and support action is that the partnership be flexible, responsive, inclusive, efficient, innovative, value-adding and supportive to the EC Directorate General for Research and Innovation – the lead organisation in the European Union responsible for the implementation of the Galway Statement.
"he Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance Coordination & Support Action (AORA-CSA) has just completed its fifth and final year. The last year alone experienced a tremendous momentum (ca. 110 meetings/events in this year) and output - the culmination of 5 years of endeavour.
A quick recap in plain numbers of what the AORA-CSA as one coordination and support action has achieved in the last 5 years:
• Supported 5 × AORA Working groups – Seabed Mapping, Aquaculture, Ocean Literacy, Ecosystem Approach to Ocean Health & Stressors, Marine Microbiome
• Supported the delivery of 5 Atlantic Roadmaps in the 5 Research Priority areas above.
• Coordinated with 34 × Research projects, Innovation Actions and Coordination & Support Actions – most of which are Galway & Belém Statement tagged efforts as well as 3 others that are currently under contract negotiation
• Supported 23 All-Atlantic Youth Ambassadors, including organizing and hosting the first summer school for the youth ambassadors in Galway August 2019 and subsequently another event in Brussels February 2020
• Organized, participated in, promoted the AORA in over 300 different meetings, workshops, side events and conferences
• Designed the #GoAtlanticBlue campaign (as a pilot) to raise awareness of the Atlantic Ocean in a highly visible way in answer to a request from the Galway Statement Implementation Committee
• Broadcast the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance through events, campaigns and social media that had a combined reach to over 7.9 Million people
The AORA-CSA Secretariat contributed to the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Forum organized by the European Commission for over 700 people and hosted at the European Commission’s Charlemagne Building.
A Policy-level Portfolio Analysis, towards an All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance with Lessons learned 2013-2020 and Next Steps report was also commissioned and delivered to the European Commission DG Research & Innovation, Healthy Oceans & Seas Unit.
Finally, from a communications and dissemination aspect, the AORA-CSA has had a very successful 12 months. Engagement sentiment was overwhelmingly positive. The AORA now has over 74 videos, (see the specially created AORA YouTube channel) and a combined social media reach in the last 12 months to over 7.9 Million people – an outstanding result."
A quick recap in plain numbers of what the AORA-CSA as one coordination and support action has achieved in the last 5 years:
• Supported 5 × AORA Working groups – Seabed Mapping, Aquaculture, Ocean Literacy, Ecosystem Approach to Ocean Health & Stressors, Marine Microbiome
• Supported the delivery of 5 Atlantic Roadmaps in the 5 Research Priority areas above.
• Coordinated with 34 × Research projects, Innovation Actions and Coordination & Support Actions – most of which are Galway & Belém Statement tagged efforts as well as 3 others that are currently under contract negotiation
• Supported 23 All-Atlantic Youth Ambassadors, including organizing and hosting the first summer school for the youth ambassadors in Galway August 2019 and subsequently another event in Brussels February 2020
• Organized, participated in, promoted the AORA in over 300 different meetings, workshops, side events and conferences
• Designed the #GoAtlanticBlue campaign (as a pilot) to raise awareness of the Atlantic Ocean in a highly visible way in answer to a request from the Galway Statement Implementation Committee
• Broadcast the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance through events, campaigns and social media that had a combined reach to over 7.9 Million people
The AORA-CSA Secretariat contributed to the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Forum organized by the European Commission for over 700 people and hosted at the European Commission’s Charlemagne Building.
A Policy-level Portfolio Analysis, towards an All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance with Lessons learned 2013-2020 and Next Steps report was also commissioned and delivered to the European Commission DG Research & Innovation, Healthy Oceans & Seas Unit.
Finally, from a communications and dissemination aspect, the AORA-CSA has had a very successful 12 months. Engagement sentiment was overwhelmingly positive. The AORA now has over 74 videos, (see the specially created AORA YouTube channel) and a combined social media reach in the last 12 months to over 7.9 Million people – an outstanding result."
"1. A highly successful Industry engagement workshop with the AORA Seabed Mapping WG (the ASMIWG) came about in May 2018 and since that time industry has continued to engage with the WG. In addition, this WG continues to engage with the Seabed 2030 initiative.
2. A promotional social media campaign with emotionally compelling and appealing narrative - videos, infographics and other tools went out to tender at the end of the reporting period.
3. Creation and development of 3 videos communicating the spirit, achievements and future aspirations of the Galway Statement/AORA - 'The Last Great Exploration Campaign on Earth'. 'One Frontier Left' and also' Hand in Hand' for the All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassadors
4. Creation of an inspired campaign #GoAtlanticBlue for public participation to celebrate our Atlantic Ocean and connections to it on World Oceans Day - this was piloted in June 2019 with over 60 landmarks voluntarily participating in the campaign investing time, money and effort to do so. High traffic venues were targeted with genuine transatlantic links as well as prestigious locations such as high culture destinations on the coast such as castles, traditional boats and communities as well as small medium sized entreprises right up to multinationals, academic organisations with marine research, government buildings and even to shopfronts all went Atlantic Blue. This was a successful pilot reaching at least 2.4 Million people and can now be rolled out along and across the Atlantic in 2020 over weekend June 5-June 8 to coincide with World Oceans Day.
5. The design, development and organisation of a Summer School for 23 All Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassadors, provision of travel supports for these Youth Ambassadors and embedding them in the nominating organisations both within the AORA-CSA and also our sister Coordination and Support Action AANChOR. The social media campaign developed and executed for the event reached 2.8 million people.
6. The design of a social media campaign for the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Forum and All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassadors - 1st week February 2020, resulting in a direct reach to 2.7 Million people and with the All-Atlantic ocean Research Forum event trending in Brussels on both February 6 & 7, 2020.
7. Delivery pf 5 Roadmaps in each of the research priority areas, the last 2 of which were designed to be engaging and are beautifully illustrated throughout in order to elicit a desire to pick-up and read them.
8. Through the social media tool LinkedIn over 29000 professionals have engaged and read press releases about the AORA endeavours."
2. A promotional social media campaign with emotionally compelling and appealing narrative - videos, infographics and other tools went out to tender at the end of the reporting period.
3. Creation and development of 3 videos communicating the spirit, achievements and future aspirations of the Galway Statement/AORA - 'The Last Great Exploration Campaign on Earth'. 'One Frontier Left' and also' Hand in Hand' for the All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassadors
4. Creation of an inspired campaign #GoAtlanticBlue for public participation to celebrate our Atlantic Ocean and connections to it on World Oceans Day - this was piloted in June 2019 with over 60 landmarks voluntarily participating in the campaign investing time, money and effort to do so. High traffic venues were targeted with genuine transatlantic links as well as prestigious locations such as high culture destinations on the coast such as castles, traditional boats and communities as well as small medium sized entreprises right up to multinationals, academic organisations with marine research, government buildings and even to shopfronts all went Atlantic Blue. This was a successful pilot reaching at least 2.4 Million people and can now be rolled out along and across the Atlantic in 2020 over weekend June 5-June 8 to coincide with World Oceans Day.
5. The design, development and organisation of a Summer School for 23 All Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassadors, provision of travel supports for these Youth Ambassadors and embedding them in the nominating organisations both within the AORA-CSA and also our sister Coordination and Support Action AANChOR. The social media campaign developed and executed for the event reached 2.8 million people.
6. The design of a social media campaign for the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Forum and All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassadors - 1st week February 2020, resulting in a direct reach to 2.7 Million people and with the All-Atlantic ocean Research Forum event trending in Brussels on both February 6 & 7, 2020.
7. Delivery pf 5 Roadmaps in each of the research priority areas, the last 2 of which were designed to be engaging and are beautifully illustrated throughout in order to elicit a desire to pick-up and read them.
8. Through the social media tool LinkedIn over 29000 professionals have engaged and read press releases about the AORA endeavours."