The FMRM, represented on this occasion by Miguel Borredat, a member of the European projects team, specializing in marine biology, is participating in a technical visit to San Pedro del Pinatar to showcase the potential of regional ports as testing grounds for new technologies linked to renewable marine energies.
The Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia (FMRM) participated on September 23 in the official visit of the Project Officer of the European project MED-Hubs , a working day aimed at learning firsthand about the progress made in the Region of Murcia and the infrastructures that will be part of the innovation ecosystem created by the project.
The visit allowed us to see different facilities in San Pedro del Pinatar , including the port and Marina de las Salinas , a collaborating entity of MED-Hubs, as well as the Marine Energy Hub and the facilities of the Naval and Marine Technology Center (CTN).
MED-Hubs — Mediterranean Blue Economy Hubs: Maritime Innovation for Smart Specialisation — is a European project funded through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) whose objective is to bring innovation closer to the market and facilitate the testing and validation of new technologies related to the blue economy in real-world conditions.
To this end, the project is developing two interconnected European hubs: one in Spain, specializing primarily in marine renewable energy , and another in Italy, focused on sustainable fishing and aquaculture . The initiative aims to connect research, startups, government agencies, ports, investors, and coastal regions to facilitate the advancement of innovative solutions from the development phase to real-world implementation.
A significant core of partners in the Region of Murcia
The Region of Murcia plays a particularly important role within MED-Hubs. The Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) coordinates the European project and leads the development of the Spanish hub dedicated to marine energy.
The Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia, through the General Directorate of Coast and Ports; the Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia (FMRM); and the Naval and Maritime Technology Centre (CTN) are also participating as partners.
The combination of these four partners allows the project to be approached from different areas: research and scientific knowledge, technological capacity, port management and connection with the municipalities and the territory.
Five regional ports to bring innovation closer to the territory
One of the most interesting elements of MED-Hubs is the possibility of using port spaces in the Region of Murcia for the demonstration, validation and testing of possible innovative technologies , especially those related to marine renewable energies and energy efficiency.
The five selected locations are: Águilas, Mazarrón, Cabo de Palos, Los Alcázares and San Pedro del Pinatar.
These are ports integrated into the regional port network, making the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia a key player in the project . Through its Directorate General for Coastline and Ports, the regional government can facilitate access to port facilities, streamline administrative procedures, and support the necessary actions for testing the selected technologies in real-world environments.
This model allows regional ports to be transformed into potential innovation laboratories linked to the sea , bringing companies, researchers and startups closer to places where they can test how their solutions work outside the laboratory.
The FMRM, a bridge between regional innovation and municipalities
In this scheme, the Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia plays a role of interlocutor and facilitator between the Autonomous Community and the municipalities , especially those that have ports or are directly linked to the development of the blue economy.
The Federation works to bring MED-Hubs closer to local entities, facilitate institutional dialogue and ensure that the needs and opportunities of coastal municipalities are present during the development of the project.
In this way, MED-Hubs is not limited to promoting new technologies, but seeks to generate an ecosystem in which universities, technology centers, companies, regional administrations, ports and municipalities work together to promote new economic and sustainable opportunities on the coast.
During the day in San Pedro del Pinatar, the mayor of the municipality, Pedro Javier Sánchez Aznar , participated, as well as councilor Javier Castejón , the general director of Coast and Ports, Agustín Osete Vera , and representatives of the FMRM, UPCT, CTN and the rest of the entities involved in the project.
The visit allowed us to showcase on-site the potential of the Region of Murcia to become a benchmark for testing and validating innovative solutions related to marine energy and the blue economy.
A European collaboration in which technological innovation connects with the territory and in which municipalities cease to be merely recipients of the results to become part of the transformation process of the blue economy from the local level.
The Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia participated yesterday, September 23, in the official visit of the Project Officer of the European project MED-Hubs , aimed at learning about the progress developed in the Region of Murcia.
The day included visits to the Port of San Pedro del Pinatar, Marina de las Salinas, the Marine Energy Hub and the facilities of the Naval and Marine Technology Centre (CTN).
MED-Hubs works to bring new technologies related to the blue economy and marine renewable energies to the market , facilitating their testing and validation in real environments.
In the Region of Murcia, the partners are UPCT, which coordinates the project; CTN; the Autonomous Community, through the General Directorate of Coast and Ports; and FMRM.
The selected ports are potential sites for testing new technologies. As these ports fall under the jurisdiction of the regional government (CARM), the Regional Government of Murcia (CARM) plays a key role in facilitating these initiatives , while the Port Authority of Murcia (FMRM) acts as an intermediary and facilitator between the regional administration and the local councils.
The visit was attended by the mayor of San Pedro del Pinatar, Pedro Javier Sánchez Aznar ; councilor Javier Castejón ; and the general director of Coast and Ports, Agustín Osete , along with representatives of the partner entities of the project.
An initiative that connects innovation, ports and municipalities to generate new opportunities in the blue economy of the Region of Murcia.
