The event is free and “will take place on 17 March at the Oriente Green Campus of Universidade Europeia in Lisbon. Attendance is free, but an online registration is required.

According to a press release, the theme of the conference will be “Ocean – The Blue Economy”, and organisations like “Sea Shepherd Global, Indico Capital Partners, Federação Portuguesa do Surf, Universidade Europeia, Católica Porto Business School, and many more will take the floor.”

“The ocean that separates Portugal from Ireland is also the one that unites the two countries, particularly through trade relations and investment in the blue economy. This was what Ireland Portugal Business Network (IPBN) observed in 2023 at its latest conference dedicated to the sea, where the port of Leixões served as a gateway to the synergies shared between the two countries”, as mentioned in the communiqué.

The event takes place during Saint Patrick’s Day, and it will be “an event for sharing scientific knowledge, technological innovation, climate challenges, and partnership opportunities around the blue economy and the essential role of the oceans in the Portuguese and Irish economies.” It is also reported that “special emphasis will be placed on the impact of the climate emergency on coastal infrastructure, following the storms that have ravaged the Portuguese coast over the last few weeks.”

“The programme opens with a panel discussion held in partnership with the climate and social justice organisation Ethical Assembly, in which Christopher Storey, Special Projects Manager at Sea Shepherd Global, and André Almeida Santos, Partner at Indico Capital Partners specialising in blue economy investments, discuss the latest scientific and technological innovations related to ocean conservation.”

Patricia Imbarus, founder and CEO of the Ethical Assembly, said that“we’re thrilled to be partnering with the IPBN team for their 7th Sustainability Conference focused on the ocean. As we’re midway into the UN Ocean Decade, this is a critical moment for us to pause and take stock of where we are on this journey and collectively reflect on how we can deliver an ambitious ocean agenda by 2030,” said

“The first panel will be followed by a discussion that is more relevant than ever, focusing on the climate challenges associated with coastal infrastructure, with the participation of Professor Emília Duarte from IADE/UE, Antónia Correia from the collaborative tourism laboratory KIPT COLAB, and Pedro Pardal Monteiro, Vice-President of the Portuguese Surfing Federation. The morning ends with a journey into the future of marine protection technology, led by Lee Bristow, an artificial intelligence expert, Agostinho da Silva, from Católica Porto Business School, and Pedro Costa from the University of Coimbra.”

Attendees may participate in a lunch, which costs €25.