Targeting the emerging field of operational oceanography the PECO2 project aims to develop education, training and coordination in operational oceanography and marine services while strengthening international partnership in this field. This is compliant with both the INTPART programme?s overall goal to strengthen and advance development in world-class research and education, and the Norwegian Governments Panorama Strategy for cooperation on higher education and research. In each participating country the PECO2 project will also become an important building block in support to the growing need for routine production and delivery of coastal and ocean information with societal benefit, notably in sectors such as: maritime safety, marine environment, marine resources and climate change. All in all the PECO2 project supports the UN´s Sustainable Development Goals, in particular goals 4, 13, 14 and 17.
The project will terminate at the end of 2023 and is coordinated and managed by the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Centre in Bergen, Norway. It includes the following partners: Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen (Norway); Nansen Environmental Research Centre-India; Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (India); Nansen-Zhu International Research Centre; Chinese Academy of Sciences (China); CSIR Smart Places; Nansen-Tutu Center/University of Cape Town (South Africa); and Centre d'Enseignement et de Recherche sur l'Environnement Atmosphérique (France).
A dedicated training course in operational oceanography and marine services for around 50-60 international students will take place onboard the tall ship St. Lehmkuhl during the One Ocean Expedition from Maputo (Mozambique) to Cape Town (South Africa) from 3-13 January 2023.
The PECO2 project aims to share advanced knowledge and experiences in operational oceanography accumulated through projects involving partners from South-Africa, China, France, India and Norway and develop this into a collaboration platform in support to education and training in operational oceanography and marine services. This is compliant with the INTPART program overall goal to advance the development and strengthen the world-class research and education. The PECO2 project is moreover fully compliant with the Norwegian Government Panorama Strategy for cooperation on higher education and research whereby it is emphasized that: "As a result of the changes occurring globally, cooperation with other countries on other continents (i.e. the BRICS countries) will come to play a more important role for the further development of the Norwegian knowledge society". In addition it will be highly relevant for the UN´s Sustainable Development Goals, in particular goals numbers 4, 13, 14 and 17.
The project will review the needs and opportunities for both research cooperation and training within the framework of operational oceanography and identify where competency is needed in the next generation of researchers in this field. It will then implement a number of activities designed to provide training and stimulate research ideas. This includes two summer schools, a data assimilation course, a number of student exchange visits and guest lectures. PECO2 will look to broaden this work and explore a) how it could be adapted to users from the maritime industry and b) how to provide training for operational oceanography on a more sustained and systematic basis through a joint curriculum.
The PECO2 project has clear relevance to a number of funded, cutting edge research programmes that are listed in the project description. In each participating country the PECO2 project will also become an important building block in support to the growing need for routine production and delivery of coastal and ocean information with societal benefit.
