Clean Shipping Project Platform (CSHIPP) is one of the six project platforms approved for funding by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme in June 2018. As concerns about the environment and sustainability are rising and new regulations are changing the maritime sector, the aim of CSHIPP is to bring together projects and organisations focused on enhancing clean shipping in the Baltic Sea region and to facilitate the communication between its key target groups: research, business and policy-making. The collaboration of several partners and projects on a shared platform is expected to increase the impact of and connect the dots between individual projects working for clean shipping. Main objectives include increasing the uptake of scientific information into policymaking, and enhancing co-operation of businesses and the maritime industry with research and academia.
A kick-off meeting for the platform partners was organised at Forum Marinum Maritime Centre in Turku, Finland on the 11th and 12th of December 2018. The meeting, hosted by the lead partner Centre for Maritime Studies (University of Turku), provided an opportunity for the platform partners to get to know each other and familiarise themselves with the work done in participating projects. It was also a forum for CSHIPP partners to discuss and plan the activities and expected outcome of the platform. As the projects and partners involved in the platform look at the shared topic of clean shipping from many different angles, the kick-off meeting enabled the partners to share their information about their expertise and experiences which will be utilised in CSHIPP. When planning the platform activities, it became clear that input from all the partners is indeed essential to achieve the objectives of the platform.
All in all, the kick-off event facilitated fruitful discussion and exchange of ideas between CSHIPP partners. The next steps of the platform are already in the works and the partners are looking forward to successful collaboration.
