AquaSphere’s Second Peer Learning Event in Izmir
Strengthening Blue Economy Innovation:
In November, Piotr Swiatek, Design Policy & International Projects Manager, and Olivia Goonatillake, Design Innovation Specialist, joined our AquaSphere partners in Izmir, Turkey, for the project’s second Peer Learning Event. AquaSphere is a Horizon Europe initiative that empowers higher education institutions (HEIs) to lead the way in water and maritime innovation—and we’re proud to play a part in that mission.
The project aims to enable HEIs to act as catalysts for sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship across the blue economy, covering maritime industries, water technologies, and other sectors that contribute to ocean and freshwater resilience.
Hosted by Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH), the event opened with remarks from Dr. Gulnihal Yelkan and Assoc. Prof. Cem Çelebi. From there, we had a packed agenda:
- A keynote on Marine Technologies and Research (MTR)
- A roundtable with Prof. Orhan Gündüz on water systems and sustainability
- An inspiring talk from VESELLEX, a start-up developing technology to collect ocean waste
We also toured Teknopark Izmir—a leading regional innovation hub supporting start-ups, researchers, and industry collaborations in advanced technology and sustainability.
To wrap up, Piotr and Olivia led a hands-on workshop on co-design processes, showing how collaborative design can strengthen innovation in the blue economy. Partners left with practical tools to replicate and adapt these methods in their own ecosystems.
Next stop? Cardiff! We’re excited to welcome our AquaSphere partners to Wales for the next Peer Learning Event.
Want
to learn more about AquaSphere and how we’re driving sustainable innovation?
Read about the first peer learning event – Building Innovation
Capacity in the Blue Economy.
