Forum Synergy Strategy Voice for marine science and technology in Europe

The increasing interdependence of marine research policies and programmes at national and at European levels, as well as the rapidly changing environment of European marine sciences, call for a new approach to the development of European research strategies. To this end, the Marine Board, established in 1995 by its Member Organisations, to facilitate enhanced coordination between the directors of European marine science organisations (research institutes, funding agencies and research councils) and the development of strategies for marine science in Europe. The Marine Board operates within the European Science Foundation.

As an independent non-governmental advisory body, the Marine Board is motivated by, and dedicated to the unique opportunity of building collaboration in marine research. The Marine Board develops insight, recognising opportunities and trends, presenting compelling and persuasive arguments that shape the future of marine research in Europe.

The Marine Board provides the essential components for transferring knowledge for leadership in marine research in Europe. Adopting a strategic role, the Marine Board serves its Member Organisations by providing a forum within which policy advice to national agencies and to the European Commission is developed, with the objective of providing comparable research strategies at the European level. As a major science policy think-tank, the Marine Board:

unites the outputs of advanced marine research;

provides inputs necessary to transfer research to knowledge for leadership and decision making;

develops foresight initiatives to secure future research capability and to support informed policy making;

places marine research within the European sociopolitical and economic issues that profoundly affect Europe.

The Marine Board operates via four principal approaches:

• Forum Bringing together European marine research performing and funding organisations to share information, to identify common issues and approaches, to develop common positions, and to cooperate;
• Synergy Fostering European added value to component national programmes, facilitating access and shared use of national marine research facilities, and promoting synergy with international programmes and organisations;
•  Strategy Identifying and prioritising emergent disciplinary and interdisciplinary marine scientific issues of strategic European importance, initiating analysis and studies (where relevant, in close association with the European Commission) in order to develop a European strategy for marine research;
• Voice Expressing a collective vision of the future for European marine science in relation to developments in Europe and world-wide.