NEWS: Technology, cooperation and innovation at the heart of the PREVENT Roundtables on marine pollution
The two Roundtables of the European project PREVENT – Pollution Reduction and Early-warning for Vulnerable Ecosystems in Adriatic-Ionian Territories were successfully held on Friday, 15 May 2026, at the Athens Concert Hall, within the framework of the Aquaculture Congress “Blue Growth, Global Vision”. The Roundtables were organised by the Development Agency of the South Aegean Region – READ S.A., as a project partner.
The PREVENT project, implemented under the Interreg IPA ADRION 2021–2027 Programme and co-funded by the European Union, aims to reduce marine pollution and strengthen early-warning mechanisms for vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems.
The first Roundtable, entitled “Enhancing Transnational Collaboration for Marine Litter Management,” focused on the importance of transnational cooperation in marine litter management. The discussion was moderated by Mr Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou, Permanent Research Fellow at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), and featured the participation of Ms Samara Croci, Communications Manager at Healthy Seas, Ms Christina Zeri, Research Director at HCMR, Mr Nikos Katsafados, Technical Manager at WASTE ET WATER Ltd., as well as Mr Giannos Priovolos, from the Industrial Design Department of MEPP – Mediterranean Company for Environmental Protection.
Of particular importance was both the participation of MEPP and the presence of Blutopia, as both organisations are members of AIMLIN – Adriatic-Ionian Marine Litter Innovation Network, the Marine Litter Innovation Network established within the framework of the PREVENT project. AIMLIN aims to strengthen cooperation, promote the exchange of know-how and connect scientific knowledge with the practical needs of coastal areas.
The second Roundtable, entitled “Advancements in Technology for Marine Litter Management,” focused on the role of technology in marine litter management and was moderated by Stella Roubeti, lawyer and PREVENT project officer for the Development Agency of the South Aegean Region.
The second Roundtable featured the participation of Mr George Balaskas, from the National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, a partner of the PREVENT project, who presented the intelligent tools for marine litter detection developed within the framework of the project; Ms Andreja Palatinus, from the National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia, also a project partner, who contributed with an intervention on early detection, remote monitoring and transnational cooperation; Mr George Triantafyllidis, CEO of MINDS Technologies & Environmental Sciences PC, who presented technologies for the detection, collection and prevention of marine litter, drawing on the experience of the INSPIRE and CLAIM projects; and Ms Marilou Suc, Co-founder & Chief of Ecosystem at Recycllux, who presented the use of artificial intelligence, Earth Observation and block chain in the development of scalable marine litter management systems.
During the discussion, modern tools and approaches for the detection, monitoring, collection and prevention of marine litter were highlighted, including artificial intelligence, citizen science, Earth Observation, digital platforms, data utilisation, autonomous technologies and solutions that can support public authorities and coastal communities.
The two Roundtables provided an important opportunity for dialogue among scientific bodies, public authorities, environmental organisations, technology companies and members of the AIMLIN Network, with the common aim of moving from the recording and detection of marine litter towards practical solutions, cooperation schemes and joint actions for the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems.
The participation of the Development Agency of the South Aegean Region in the PREVENT project highlights the importance placed on the protection of the marine environment, particularly in an island region with an extensive coastline, high environmental value, intense tourism activity and a direct connection between local development and the sea.
Through the PREVENT project, transnational cooperation, the exchange of know-how, the participation of regional and local stakeholders in innovation networks, and the use of modern technological tools for the prevention and more effective management of marine pollution are further strengthened.