EVENTS: Technology, cooperation and innovation for the protection of the seas through the PREVENT project and the Development Agency of the South Aegean Region

The Development Agency of the South Aegean Region – READ S.A., as a partner of the European project PREVENT – Pollution Reduction and Early-warning for Vulnerable Ecosystems in Adriatic-Ionian Territories, is organizing two roundtable discussions on Friday, 15 May 2026, at the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron Athens), within the framework of the Aquaculture Congress “Blue Growth, Global Vision.”

The PREVENT project, implemented under the Interreg IPA ADRION 2021–2027 Programme, is co-funded by the European Union and aims to reduce marine pollution and strengthen early-warning mechanisms for vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems.

The event will open with a short greeting and introductory address by Prof. Dora Foti, Professor at the Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy, and Lead Partner representative of the PREVENT project, who will briefly present the scope and importance of the project for the prevention of marine pollution and the promotion of transnational cooperation.

From 13:00 to 14:00, the first roundtable discussion will take place under the title “Enhancing Transnational Collaboration for Marine Litter Management,” moderated by Mr Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou, Permanent Research Fellow at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR).

The first roundtable will feature the participation of:

Ms Samara Croci, Communications Manager at Healthy Seas, with a presentation entitled “Ghost Farms: A Story from the Field,” highlighting field experience from actions related to marine pollution and abandoned fishing gear.

Ms Christina Zeri, Research Director at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), with a presentation on the Tethys4ADRION project, which addresses, at regional level, the issue of litter pollution transported through riverine systems.

Mr Nikos Katsafados, Technical Manager at WASTE ET WATER Ltd., who will contribute to the discussion with his technical expertise on waste and water resources management issues.

Mr Giannos Provolos, from the Industrial Design Department of MEPP – Mediterranean Company for Environmental Protection, with a presentation entitled “From Marine Litter to Recycling and the Circular Economy.” The participation of MEPP is of particular importance, as it is a member of the AIMLIN – Adriatic-Ionian Marine Litter Innovation Network, the Marine Litter Innovation Network established within the framework of the PREVENT project. AIMLIN functions as a space for cooperation, exchange of know-how and networking among scientific bodies, public authorities, environmental organizations and other stakeholders, with the aim of connecting scientific knowledge with the practical needs of coastal areas.

Following the break, from 15:00 to 16:00, the second roundtable discussion will take place under the title “Advancements in Technology for Marine Litter Management.” It will be moderated by Stella Roubeti, lawyer and project officer for the PREVENT project at the Development Agency of the South Aegean Region.

The second roundtable will focus on the role of technology in marine litter management, with emphasis on modern tools for detection, monitoring, collection and prevention, such as artificial intelligence, citizen science, Earth Observation, digital platforms, data utilization and technological solutions that can support public authorities and coastal communities.

The second roundtable will feature the participation of:

Mr George Balaskas, from the National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, partner of the project, with a presentation entitled “PREVENT: Intelligent tools for marine litter detection,” presenting smart tools developed within the framework of the project for the detection of marine litter, such as mobile applications, web-based data visualization platforms and artificial intelligence tools.

Ms Andreja Palatinus, from the National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia, partner of the project, with an intervention entitled “From Early Detection to Joint Action: Remote Monitoring of Marine Litter and Transnational Cooperation in PREVENT,” focusing on early detection, scientific knowledge and transnational cooperation within the framework of the project.

Mr George Triantafyllidis, CEO of MINDS Technologies & Environmental Sciences PC, with a presentation entitled “Technologies for marine litter detection, collection and prevention: Experiences from the INSPIRE and CLAIM Projects,” highlighting technological solutions and experiences from European projects related to the detection, collection and prevention of marine litter.

Ms Marilou Suc, Co-founder & Chief of Ecosystem at Recycllux, with a presentation entitled “From Data to Impact: Leveraging AI, Earth Observation and Block chain to Build Scalable Marine Litter Management Systems,” focusing on the transition from data to scalable and sustainable marine litter management systems.

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, especially 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, exchange of know-how, 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.

These roundtable discussions constitute an important opportunity for dialogue among scientific bodies, public authorities, environmental organisations, technology companies and members of the AIMLIN Network, with the 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.

Anyone wishing to attend the Roundtable online may register for the conference through the following link:https://aquaculture-congress.gr/en/registrations/