Overview

The main goal of the MARBLE project is to raise competences and skills in maritime robotics application in the domain of blue economy (topic 1) by supporting the preparation of an innovative joint master programme “MARBLE – Maritime Robotics in Blue Economy” and implementation of joint training organized by a network of universities, research organizations, business clusters, and a digital innovation hub. The main challenges tackled in this project are the need for intersectoral and technological skills in Blue Economy education and the lack of an international interdisciplinary sustainable-minded Master programme dedicated to Maritime Robotics in Blue Economy.
To tackle these challenges, the following objectives of the MARBLE project have been defined:

1. to establish a network of academic and business partners working together on maritime robotics skills enhancement and capacity building in blue economy by organizing a series of networking events and study visits to partner sites and companies. These events will also include educational methodology seminars and best practice knowledge transfer.
2. to contribute to fostering of knowledge and skills on sustainable blue economy in the Adriatic-Ionian Area and enhancing the importance of education and of innovative approaches based on new technologies. This will be achieved by organizing a training course providing theoretical and practical knowledge and a hackathon that will be focussed on solving problems relevant to blue economy areas.
3. to prepare and deliver the documentation required for a joint Master's programme on maritime robotics in blue economy, e.g. the necessary accreditation documents, including curriculum, administrative processes and the university path and mobility scheme

The main output will be the MARBLE network (related to the first objective). The durability of the project outputs is ensured through the second main output: the MARBLE strategy and action plan, focussing on implementation of the joint Master Programme MARBLE, by defining long-term and short-term goals, as well as actions and resources for realization.
The MARBLE partnership includes 4 universities and one research organization with expertise [FF1] in blue economy topics and robotics related areas, and experience in developing joint master programmes; and a business cluster and a digital innovation hub acting as liaison to industry from the blue economy sectors. Strong support by industry related to blue economy is expressed through 29 letters of support that have been obtained by companies and research organizations who are interested in contributing to the Joint Master Programme in the form of hosting internships, providing mentorship to students, and giving lectures related to their field of expertise.