Networking Friday on the Bioeconomy Mission in Colombia

On October 8th, 2021, 1-3 PM UTC, a fantastic panel presented the Bioeconomy Mission in Colombia, which was launched in December 2020, being the country's first mission-oriented research policy in Colombia. The main goal of the Mission is to promote the socioeconomic development of the country, from and for the regions, through the efficient and sustainable management of biomass, biodiversity and its ecosystem services for the generation of products and processes with high added value through science, technology and innovation.. The main goal of the Mission is to promote the socioeconomic development of the country, from and for the regions, through the efficient and sustainable management of biomass, biodiversity and its ecosystem services for the generation of products and processes with high added value through science, technology and innovation. It is expected that by 2030, bioeconomy will generate 10% of Colombian GDP, 2.5 million new jobs and to help the country to comply with the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). For doing so, the mission prioritizes 5 fields and strategic challenges: Biodiversity and ecosystem services; Biointelligent Colombia; Sustainable and productive farming; Biomass and green chemistry and Health and wellbeing. In this webinar, the panel discussed the importance of the bioeconomy in the Colombian Caribbean sea and how this new paradigm could be an opportunity for the development through biodiversity research, aquaculture, fishing, bioprospecting and development of new products and materials from marine resources. Programme:

• Welcome Remarks, Luisa Marcela Villamil Diaz
• Bioeconomy Mission in Colombia, Arturo Luna
• Biodiversity in the Colombian Caribbean Sea, Paula Sierra
• Marine Molecular Biology, Juan Armando Sanchez
• Marine aquaculture in the Colombian Caribbean, Jaime Rojas
• Aquaculture in Bioprospecting, Luisa Marcela Villamil Diaz
• Bioeconomy opportunities for the Caribbean Sea, Ellie Anne López Barrera
• Q&A and Panel moderated by Luisa Marcela Villamil Diaz
• Closing remarks, Luisa Marcela Villamil Diaz

Projects of Interest of scientific institutions in Colombia within the framework of Horizon Europe.

Open for submission

• Improved science based maritime spatial planning and identification of marine protected areas.
• Understanding the oceanic carbon cycle.
• Sea to fork transparency and consumer engagement.
• Socio-economic empowerment of the users of the sea.
• Understanding and valuing coastal and marine biodiversity and ecosystems services.

Forthcoming

• Observing and mapping biodiversity and ecosystems, with particular focus on coastal and marine ecosystems.
• Innovative food from marine and freshwater ecosystems.
• Integration of marine ecosystem service valuation, conservation and restoration in socio-economic models.
• European Partnership for a climate neutral, sustainable and productive Blue Economy.
• Improved underwater detection and control capabilities to protect maritime areas and sea harbours.
• Integrated and sustainable freshwater bioeconomy: Combining aquaculture, biodiversity preservation, biotechnology and other uses.
• Monitoring and supervising system for exploration and future exploitation activities in the deep sea (RIA).

On October 8th, 2021, 1-3 PM UTC, a fantastic panel will present and discuss the Bioeconomy Mission in Colombia, which was launched in December 2020, being the country's first mission-oriented research policy in Colombia. The main goal of the Mission is to promote the socioeconomic development of the country, from and for the regions, through the efficient and sustainable management of biomass, biodiversity and its ecosystem services for the generation of products and processes with high added value through science, technology and innovation.. The main goal of the Mission is to promote the socioeconomic development of the country, from and for the regions, through the efficient and sustainable management of biomass, biodiversity and its ecosystem services for the generation of products and processes with high added value through science, technology and innovation. It is expected that by 2030, bioeconomy will generate 10% of Colombian GDP, 2.5 million new jobs and to help the country to comply with the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). For doing so, the mission prioritizes 5 fields and strategic challenges: Biodiversity and ecosystem services; Biointelligent Colombia; Sustainable and productive farming; Biomass and green chemistry and Health and wellbeing. In this webinar we will discuss the importance of the bioeconomy in the Colombian Caribbean sea and how this new paradigm could be an opportunity for the development through biodiversity research, aquaculture, fishing, bioprospecting and development of new products and materials from marine resources. Programme:

• Welcome Remarks, Luisa Marcela Villamil Diaz
• Bioeconomy Mission in Colombia, Arturo Luna
• Biodiversity in the Colombian Caribbean Sea, Paula Sierra
• Marine Molecular Biology, Juan Armando Sanchez
• Marine aquaculture in the Colombian Caribbean, Jaime Rojas
• Bioeconomy opportunities for the Caribbean Sea, Ellie Anne López Barrera
• Q&A and Panel moderated by Luisa Marcela Villamil Diaz
• Closing remarks, Luisa Marcela Villamil Diaz

Projects of Interest of scientific institutions in Colombia within the framework of Horizon Europe.

Open for submission

• Improved science based maritime spatial planning and identification of marine protected areas.
• Understanding the oceanic carbon cycle.
• Sea to fork transparency and consumer engagement.
• Socio-economic empowerment of the users of the sea.
• Understanding and valuing coastal and marine biodiversity and ecosystems services.

Forthcoming

• Observing and mapping biodiversity and ecosystems, with particular focus on coastal and marine ecosystems.
• Innovative food from marine and freshwater ecosystems.
• Integration of marine ecosystem service valuation, conservation and restoration in socio-economic models.
• European Partnership for a climate neutral, sustainable and productive Blue Economy.
• Improved underwater detection and control capabilities to protect maritime areas and sea harbours.
• Integrated and sustainable freshwater bioeconomy: Combining aquaculture, biodiversity preservation, biotechnology and other uses.
• Monitoring and supervising system for exploration and future exploitation activities in the deep sea (RIA).

On October 8th, 2021, 1-3 PM UTC, a fantastic panel will present and discuss the Bioeconomy Mission in Colombia, which was launched in December 2020, being the country's first mission-oriented research policy in Colombia. The main goal of the Mission is to promote the socioeconomic development of the country, from and for the regions, through the efficient and sustainable management of biomass, biodiversity and its ecosystem services for the generation of products and processes with high added value through science, technology and innovation.. The main goal of the Mission is to promote the socioeconomic development of the country, from and for the regions, through the efficient and sustainable management of biomass, biodiversity and its ecosystem services for the generation of products and processes with high added value through science, technology and innovation. It is expected that by 2030, bioeconomy will generate 10% of Colombian GDP, 2.5 million new jobs and to help the country to comply with the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). For doing so, the mission prioritizes 5 fields and strategic challenges: Biodiversity and ecosystem services; Biointelligent Colombia; Sustainable and productive farming; Biomass and green chemistry and Health and wellbeing. In this webinar we will discuss the importance of the bioeconomy in the Colombian Caribbean sea and how this new paradigm could be an opportunity for the development through biodiversity research, aquaculture, fishing, bioprospecting and development of new products and materials from marine resources. Programme:

• Welcome Remarks, Luisa Marcela Villamil Diaz
• Bioeconomy Mission in Colombia, Arturo Luna
• Biodiversity in the Colombian Caribbean Sea, Paula Sierra
• Marine Molecular Biology, Juan Armando Sanchez
• Marine aquaculture in the Colombian Caribbean, Jaime Rojas
• Bioeconomy opportunities for the Caribbean Sea, Ellie Anne López Barrera
• Q&A and Panel moderated by Luisa Marcela Villamil Diaz
• Closing remarks, Luisa Marcela Villamil Diaz

Projects of Interest of scientific institutions in Colombia within the framework of Horizon Europe.

Open for submission

• Improved science based maritime spatial planning and identification of marine protected areas.
• Understanding the oceanic carbon cycle.
• Sea to fork transparency and consumer engagement.
• Socio-economic empowerment of the users of the sea.
• Understanding and valuing coastal and marine biodiversity and ecosystems services.

Forthcoming

• Observing and mapping biodiversity and ecosystems, with particular focus on coastal and marine ecosystems.
• Innovative food from marine and freshwater ecosystems.
• Integration of marine ecosystem service valuation, conservation and restoration in socio-economic models.
• European Partnership for a climate neutral, sustainable and productive Blue Economy.
• Improved underwater detection and control capabilities to protect maritime areas and sea harbours.
• Integrated and sustainable freshwater bioeconomy: Combining aquaculture, biodiversity preservation, biotechnology and other uses.
• Monitoring and supervising system for exploration and future exploitation activities in the deep sea (RIA).

Speakers

Arturo Luna

Biologist with concentration in Biotechnology from the Universidad de Sucre, Colombia. Fulbright scholar - 2011. PhD in Biomedical Sciences with Concentration in Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) – Memphis. Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science of UTHSC. Manager of Science and Technology in charge of the National Biotechnology Program and the Colombia BIO Program at the Colombian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation since February 2019. Currently supports several efforts on bioeconomy at the ministry. More information:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/arturo-luna-9a445737/

Paula Sierra

Information and research coordinator at Colombia’s Institute of Marine and Coastal Research (INVEMAR). It coordinates the Environmental Information System in marine and coastal matters, aiming to keep it operational, providing marine and coastal information in different digital formats into the Colombian Environmental Information System. In addition, it is in charge of protecting the information assets generated by INVEMAR's missional research programs. More information:

• https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paula-Sierra-Correa

Juan A. Armando Sanchez

He has been actively working on coral reef research and marine ecology since 1994. He was a Fulbright doctoral grantee (1998-2002, State University of New York-Buffalo) with an ample trajectory in research and consultancy, and experience in the molecular and environmental areas including postdoctoral training in the USA (Smithsonian Institute, 2002-2003) and New Zealand (National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, 2003-2004). Currently, Dr. Sanchez is professor at the University of the Andes (Bogotá, Colombia) directing the Marine Molecular Ecology and Phylogenetics laboratory, first of its kind in Colombia. His research interests range from octocorals phylogenetics and genomics to Symbiodinium and Ostreobium molecular ecology. More information:

• https://biommar.uniandes.edu.co/?ltclid=bb6e6910-3668-4c58-9a74-3d63d6a7aa00
• https://uniandes.academia.edu/JuanArmandoS%C3%A1nchez

Jaime Rojas

Marine Biologist, scientific Director of the Research, Education and Recreation Center CEINER, this organization develops educational and research activities and offers recreation services with the purpose of promoting and developing knowledge, understanding and conservation of marine life and specially the fauna and flora and environment of the Rosario's Coral Reef National Park of Colombia. CEINER is a pioneer center in marine fish aquaculture research in Colombia, being the first place to reproduce and maintain larvae, juvenile fry and now adults of Guasa (Epinephelus itajara) in the world. More information:

• https://oceanario.co/

Ellie Anne López Barrera

Professional in Marine Biology graduated at Jorge Tadeo Lozano University (2005) with a Master's degree in Biological Oceanography and PhD in Ecology and Conservation at Federal University of Paraná, Brazil (2007-2013). Knowledge of environmental risk management, aquatic ecotoxicology, climate change, ecosystem services and socio-ecological vulnerability, environmental quality and public health, environmental management, and engineering. More information:

• https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ea-Lopez-Barrera

Moderator

Luisa Villamil

Marine Biologist, Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Director of the PhD in Biosciences, Universidad de La Sabana in Colombia. Her research interests are focused on contributing to new knowledge to overcome two factors that are well known to constrain the expansion of aquaculture; infectious diseases and nutrition. She is interested in multidisciplinary approaches to gain an understanding of the culture system, including water quality, disease diagnosis, characterization of pathogens, and the influence of environmental factors in pathogenicity and disease prevalence. On the other hand, the elucidation of the fish immune system response to disease and the use of immunostimulants and probiotics as an alternative for increasing survival and productivity of the cultured organisms and also reduce antibiotic use that adversely affects the aquatic environment and could even affect final consumers.

• More information: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Luisa-Villamil-3

We will continue with the Networking Fridays during the next months. More information about future sessions as well as presentations and videos from previous sessions can be found here. Twitter Hashtag: #netfridays. Expect some very exciting afternoons, or mornings or evenings, depending on where you are… If you need any additional information please send an email to Jose Luiz Moutinho. Networking Friday with Argyro Kavvada (NASA), who reviewed innovative Earth observation solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals. This session was moderated by Samy Djavidnia. Networking Friday Special Thematic Session on Evolving and Sustaining Ocean Best Practices with Jay Pearlman, Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Rachel Przeslawski, Juliet Hermes, and Alison Clausen. this session was moderated by Frank Muller-Karger Networking Friday Special Session on Sargassum with Cesar Toro (IOCARIBE of IOC-UNESCO), Karima Degia (UWI), Sandra Ketelhake (AtlantOS, KDM), Isabel Sousa Pinto (CIIMAR, GEO MBON), and Leah Mupas Segui (GEO Blue Planet Initiative). The moderator was Emily Smail (NOAA, GEO Blue Planet Initiative).