G7 Science and Technology Ministerial 2024 and related events

9 – 11 July | G7 Science and Technology Ministerial 2024

The Science and Technology Ministers of the Group of Seven, including the European Union, will convene from 9 to 11 July 2024 in Bolognia and Forlì, Italy, to discuss the pivotal role of science and research in ensuring a more equitable and sustainable future, and to explore possible shared initiatives to achieve this goal.

The agenda includes sessions, each focusing on one of the priority themes identified by the Italian Presidency: research security and integrity, open science and science communication; large research infrastructures; research and innovation cooperation with Africa; research on new and emerging technologies, nuclear energy and space; seas, ocean, and their biodiversity.

For more information, visit: https://www.g7italy.it/en/

11 July | Conference on Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean Health and Coastal Resilience

On 11 July 2024, a high-level event, jointly organized by the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research and the European Commission will take place under the framework of the G7 Science and Technology 2024. The event will address the Mediterranean macro-region and Atlantic Ocean’s health and coastal resilience towards climate related extreme events.The conference will showcase the progress made in monitoring, restoring and regenerating the ocean, seas and coastal areas, transitioning from research and innovation to local deployment, also through the development of the Digital Twin of the Ocean.

The event will feature strategic mobilization initiatives involving G7 countries, with particular focus on the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’, the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP), the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance, and the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA). It will also link to international organizations and research and innovation initiatives, such as the Union for the Mediterranean and UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

For more information, click here.

12 July | G7 FSOI Workshop on Marine Research Infrastructures integration and harmonization

Organised by the G7 FSOI working group with support from the EU coordination centre supported by EU4OceanObs, the workshop aims to bring together representatives of national agencies or ministries who finance ocean observing networks, leading experts and/or managers of national or regional marine research infrastructure/observing networks, Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) national focal points, and  relevant experts from the Group of Senior Officials on Global Research Infrastructures to provide advice on how other global research infrastructures have been established and operated. The worshop aims to:

1. Map the G7 member ocean observation systems sustained by Marine Research Infrastructure funding or other forms of long-term infrastructure investment.
2. Assess current limitations for transition to sustained funding for ocean observations, drawing on lessons learnt from national approaches.
3. Map existing common services that are shared within and between networks. Barriers that limit global infrastructure sharing and integration opportunities to draw on best practices
4. Define action to progress towards a common vision and strategy for the integration and harmonization of national infrastructures into a global/international research infrastructure focusing on next steps for 2025.

For more information, click here.