The project BlueSkills, led by the Italian National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS, was ranked 1st in the category "Skill Development and Circulation" and was also the overall winner of this edition of the WestMED Project Awards.

The project was presented by Dr. Mounir Ghribi, Director of International Cooperation of OGS.

The WestMED Stakeholder Conference 2021, organised by the Italian-Libyan co-chairmanship of the WestMED Initiative, was held in Rome on November 9th. The Conference discussed the main issues linked to the sustainable blue economy in the Mediterranean region, focusing on ongoing projects and funding opportunities in this area.

This year, the Conference has seen the launch of the first edition of the WestMED Project Awards, with the objective to identify, showcase and honour exceptional projects in different areas which provide innovative and replicable solutions embodying the WestMED initiative’s vision for the western Mediterranean.

The WestMED Initiative has been initiated by the Union for the Mediterranean with the support of the European Commission to help achieve a safer and more secure maritime space, create a smarter and more resilient Blue Economy and improve the maritime governance for the western Mediterranean.

For more information on the WestMED Initiative, click here