On 1 and 2 June, CEI-Iscte organised the international workshop of the project “Blue Shield: Strengthening European Maritime Security”, funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
The first day of the workshop took place at the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) in Lisbon, bringing together participants from EU institutions, European agencies, national administrations, academia, and civil society for a broad discussion on emerging challenges in European maritime security.
Throughout the sessions, discussions addressed the geopolitical and economic dimensions of maritime security, issues related to technological sovereignty and resilience, as well as the implications of the emerging European Ocean Pact. A central focus of the debate was the need to better connect maritime security with broader societal concerns, highlighting the concept of Blue Citizenship as a way to strengthen public awareness of the role of oceans in Europe’s security, prosperity, and sustainability.
Key topics also included financial and technological dependencies in the maritime domain, identified as a critical vulnerability in Europe’s security architecture, alongside the role of dual-use technologies, sovereign digital solutions, and the need to strengthen skills development and specialised training in this sector.
The second day of the workshop took place at CEI-Iscte, where the project team continued its internal work, further analysing the outcomes of the discussions and planning the next stages of research and dissemination activities.
The workshop represented a key milestone in the development of the Blue Shield project, coordinated at CEI-Iscte by Pedro Seabra and Roxana Andrei, reinforcing its aim to critically examine the intersections between maritime security, energy, and technological transformation in the European context.
More information about the project is available at: https://www.blueshield.cei.iscte-iul.pt/