Azul Digital fostered reflection on the digital future of the Blue Economy
April 1, 2026
On 31 March, the Auditorium of the Ílhavo Maritime Museum hosted the event Azul Digital – Digital Solutions for the Blue Economy, organised within the framework of the Portugal Blue Digital Hub (PBDH). The initiative brought together representatives from businesses, academia and public entities to reflect on the present and future digital landscape of the ocean economy, in a moment of knowledge-sharing, solution showcase and strategic debate around innovation in the sector.
The opening session featured remarks by Maria Eugénia Pinheiro, from the Ílhavo City Council, Teresa Cardoso, from the Port of Aveiro and Port of Figueira da Foz Administration, Paulo Marques, from Inova-Ria – Association of Companies for an Innovation Network, and Carlos Pinho, from Fórum Oceano and Lead Manager of PBDH. These opening contributions set the tone for a morning focused on innovation, collaboration and the development of concrete responses to the challenges and opportunities of the Blue Economy.
The panel Portfolio of Solutions for the Blue Economy presented some of the platforms developed within the framework of PBDH, namely the Portuguese Nautical Stations Network, the Blue Biobanks Digital Research Platform and the National Oceanographic Data Centre (NODC-PT). This panel featured Gisela S., from Fórum Oceano, Beatriz Vieite, from the University of Aveiro, Maria Bôto, from CIIMAR, and Telmo Geraldes Dias, from the Portuguese Navy Hydrographic Institute.
This was followed by the panel Blue Economy: opportunities and investment, dedicated to presenting initiatives and instruments with the potential to drive innovation and growth in the sector. Featured initiatives included the Aveiro Technological Free Zone, Goparity and the Aveiro Smart Connected Spaces Test Bed, with contributions from Eduardo Feio, from the University of Aveiro, Francisco Heidema Silva, from Goparity, Mariana de Oliveira Pita, from PCI – Creative Science Park Aveiro Region, and Catarina Rasquiha Lemos, from CEiiA and the University of Aveiro.
The morning concluded with the round table The Digital Future of the Blue Economy in the Aveiro Region, moderated by Rodrigo Oliveira, from Fórum Oceano, and featuring Pedro Almeida, from Aveiro City Council, Luís Menezes Pinheiro, from the University of Aveiro and the National Committee for the Ocean Decade (CNDO), Davide Ricardo, from Inova-Ria, and Miguel Faria, from the Captaincy of the Port of Aveiro. The discussion brought together different perspectives on the role of the Aveiro region in promoting the digital and sustainable transition of the Blue Economy.
With more than 90 participants, the event reinforced Aveiro’s position as a leading territory for the experimentation, collaboration and development of innovative solutions for the Blue Economy, highlighting how technology, science and industry can converge to accelerate the sector’s transformation.
Aveiro will welcome the “Azul Digital” event dedicated to innovation in the Blue Economy
The event “Azul Digital: Digital Solutions for the Blue Economy” will take place in Aveiro on 31 March 2026 from 09:30 to 12:30. The event will focus on how technological innovation is transforming the Blue Economy.