Why are you stepping up the collaboration with UGent in particular?
We are negotiating with the other Flemish universities to expand our support of their activities through similar agreements. But UGent leads the field of marine and coastal research in Flanders and has now joined forces in the Marine@UGent cluster. This consortium brings together 45 professors from 24 research groups, linked to the faculties of sciences, bio-engineering sciences, engineering sciences, architecture, law and veterinary medicine. We hope that the other universities will soon follow this multidisciplinary example.

What does the closer cooperation mean for researchers at UGent?
In terms of infrastructure, we have set up a new laboratory at a barracks of our Marine Station research facility in Ostend and provide greenhouses in De Haan where researchers can examine dune vegetation. Of course, the equipment is available to all universities, just like other technology is: our research vessel Simon Stevin, extensive data centre and UGent underwater robot Genesis. Furthermore, we want to make the scientific expertise more visible through publications, events and network opportunities.

For the general public, you are organising the Marine Art project.
During this first semester, marine researchers from UGent meet students of Ghent’s Academy for Visual Arts to inspire them. On the basis of these brainstorming sessions, the students will create artworks that will be exhibited at the University Forum building in Ghent early next year.

How would you like to see Flemish research evolve in the future?
Flanders has to make sure it catches the “blue economy” wave: The development of offshore wind farms, wave power and tidal energy provides huge opportunities in the growing sector of renewable energy. There is also a large potential in “blue biotechnology”, the under-exploited use of marine organisms to develop new drugs, improve the aquaculture environment and thus increase the safety and supply of seafood. Finally, the Flemish research world has to monitor the continuing rise of the sea level due to global warming and examine the best policy to deal with it.