The 2nd EfxINNOs Joint Workshop was held in Istanbul
Istanbul, 17 October 2025
With a “data for decisions”—not just “data for reports”—approach to marine and coastal monitoring, the Black Sea saw fresh momentum toward multi-layered, cross-sector, and multi-stakeholder innovation partnerships that underpin common policies and practical cooperation.
Organised by Istanbul University and hosted by the Permanent International Secretariat of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC PERMIS), the “2nd EfxINNOs Joint Workshop: Innovative Marine Monitoring Technologies for a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Black Sea” convened today in a hybrid format. Across five thematic panels, representatives of ministries, regional organizations, municipalities, academia, the private sector and financing mechanisms examined, with concrete examples, how monitoring technologies can be integrated into national and regional policy cycles and sector operations. With simultaneous TR/EN interpretation, the sessions assessed the marine and coastal monitoring data required in maritime decision-making and implementation, together with the relevant innovative monitoring technologies. Beyond new sensors and platforms, participants identified “usable portfolios of products and services” to support cooperation across institutions and industries.
The workshop brought together around 70 participants from 27 institutions across 5 countries. The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Directorate General of Coastal Safety; the Ministry of Interior, Turkish Coast Guard Command; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate for EU Affairs; and, the Ministry of Industry and Technology, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization (KOSGEB) and The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK), including its EU Framework Programmes units attended the workshop. At the regional cooperation level, the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and the Black Sea Commission (BSC) were represented. At the local governance level, the Marmara Municipalities Union and the Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities participated. From the sectoral and professional organizations, the İMEAK Chamber of Shipping, the Turkish Shipbuilders’ Association (GISBIR), the Association of Coaster Owners and Operators (KOSDER), the Central Union of Turkish Marine Fishers Producers (DEM-BIR), the Marine Tourism Association (DTB), and the Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TÜDAV) were present. Within the research and academic ecosystem, the Istanbul University Faculty of Aquatic Sciences and the Institute of Marine Sciences and Management, the TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center, the Istanbul Technical University Maritime Faculty, Piri Reis University, AG Marine Solutions, the Democritus University of Thrace, Ilia State University, the National Institute for Marine Research and Development ‘Grigore Antipa’ (Romania), and the Technical University of Varna actively contributed to the event.
Over the course of the day, discussions covered the role of monitoring technologies in national policy design and implementation; alignment with the Black Sea’s common policy backbone (Bucharest Convention–BSIMAP, the Common Maritime Agenda, and the SRIA); sector-specific monitoring needs spanning shipbuilding, ports and vessel operations, tourism, aquaculture and capture fisheries, offshore renewable energy, and marine mining/drilling; state-of-the-art monitoring and detection solutions; and financing/partnership mechanisms. In line with principles of data continuity and interoperability, debates brought together—in a single view—the entire “use-case–indicator–technology–financing” chain.
The steps taken in the Black Sea are aligned with successful global models: open data standards and indicator-based assessment approaches under regional seas conventions; national and regional coastal/ocean observing systems that deliver decision-ready products for policymakers; the data-to-product backbone formed by the EMODnet–Copernicus synergy in Europe; and the decision-support digital twin vision of the UN Ocean Decade’s DITTO program.
Outputs from the workshop will be consolidated into a public list of priority use cases and technology domains to support the region’s marine monitoring innovation ecosystem and the EfxINNOs Hackathons in 2026. National R&D and entrepreneurship programs—together with Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin and EU mission/partnership calls—were identified as the principal instruments for scaling implementation.
Selected quotes from the opening and panel sessions:
“Seagrasses and algae constitute the Blue Carbon backbone of the Black Sea: they capture carbon, buffer coastal erosion, and support water quality and biodiversity. When we measure and manage Blue Carbon sequestration capacity, we increase resilience to storms and coastal pressures, improve water quality, and at the same time strengthen operational efficiency and investment confidence across maritime sectors. EfxINNOs links national responsibilities to a regional backbone with a standardized framework that produces data ‘for decisions’—rapidly translating them into deployable solution portfolios.” – Prof. Dr. Yelda Aktan, EfxINNOs Türkiye Lead, Istanbul University.
“Today ‘s Workshop perfectly corresponds to the BSEC programs for Black Sea marine and coastal ecosystems, cleaner environment and water and Blue economy growth. Protecting marine ecosystems, managing natural resources, climate change adaptation or mitigation, waste management, biodiversity, reducing pollution are top priorities for us. We firmly believe in a fruitful cooperation with EfxINNOs in the future and we assure of BSEC’s readiness to support the implementation of this concrete Program and to future Black Sea cross border cooperation projects“. – BSEC Deputy Secretary General Dimitrios Rallis.
“EfxINNOs converts the high-resolution data generated by microAUV/ROV platforms and buoy networks into decision-support products through harmonised processing methods and AI-assisted analytics. The Istanbul workshop marked a significant step in integrating this technical capacity into the multi-stakeholder sustainability agendas of sectors such as ports, shipbuilding and operations, tourism, aquaculture and renewable energy. Ahead of the 2026 hackathons, we produced valuable outputs that will strengthen the region’s innovation ecosystem for marine monitoring—supporting decision-making, implementation and sector operations across the Black Sea.” – Prof. Dr. Georgios Sylaios, EfxINNOs Project Coordinator, Democritus University of Thrace.
“Facing climate-driven risks, biodiversity loss and coastal pressures, we must bring data-driven policy, technological innovation and inclusive governance together in the same chain, with the aim of strengthening the international competitiveness of our maritime sectors. In line with our vision of a ‘Maritime Society, Maritime Nation’ we seek to make a lasting contribution to the national economy while supporting our members’ environmentally responsible, globally aligned operations through a continually improving service approach. Within the framework of IMO and EU regulations, our priorities include the green transition, emissions reduction, waste and pollution management and the protection of marine ecosystems. Together with universities and regional stakeholders, we are ready to accelerate decision-making through transparent data sharing and interoperable solutions and to enhance efficiency and sustainable competitiveness across all sectors from ports and shipbuilding to shipping, tourism, fisheries and renewable energy.” – Serdar Akdemir, Assembly Member and Chair of the Sustainability Commission, İMEAK Chamber of Shipping.
About the EfxINNOs Project
EfxINNOs is an EU co-funded project under the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme (Project code: BSB00193). It aims to close data and policy gaps in marine observation across the Black Sea and North Aegean by deploying micro-AUVs/ROVs and surface buoys for high-resolution environmental data collection, applying AI-enabled tools to monitor sea water quality, seagrass meadows and marine litter, and establishing digital information kiosks in pilot areas to strengthen public awareness and scientific outreach. Duration: Aug 2024 – Feb 2027. Total budget: €1.64 million.
Coordinator and partners:
Coordinator: Democritus University of Thrace (Greece). Partners: Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities (Bulgaria); National Institute for Marine Research and Development ‘Grigore Antipa’ (Romania); Ilia State University (Georgia); Istanbul University (Türkiye); Technical University of Varna (Bulgaria).
Turkish coordinator: Prof. Dr. Yelda Aktan, Istanbul University.
Project duration: August 2024 – February 2027
Total budget: €1.64 million
