Portugal leads climate neutrality project funded with € 5 million
Bauhaus of the Sea Sails is one of the projects selected under the call for the development of ‘lighthouse demonstrators’ of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) that will focus on climate neutrality.
The project, selected for funding of approximately €5 million by the European Commission, will pursue the broad Vision of the New Bauhaus of the Seas to demonstrate and archive solutions for climate neutrality. There is a particular focus on coastal cities as an interface to healthy seas, ocean and water bodies. Instituto Superior Técnico will lead a network of 18 project partners and gather a multidisciplinary research team ranging from Universities to Municipalities and Museums, across six European countries. The Project will also count on the institutional support of international partners such as the Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program (CMU Portugal).
Why the ocean?
The project team chose the Ocean as the main focus of the project because of its ecological impact and housing relevance – oceans capture a third of CO2 emissions and coastal areas are home to 41% of the European population. “The oceans currently face several challenges such as plastic pollution, reduced fish stocks or rising sea levels. With this project, we want to promote an interdisciplinarity ecosystem between designers, architects, engineers, artists, managers and scientists with the vision of creating sustainable design solutions to solve environmental problems in coastal areas”, says the project coordinator Nuno Jardim Nunes, Full Professor at Técnico and head of the Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI), one of the participant institutions.
Where will the project take place?
With this goal in mind, the Bauhaus of the Sea Sails will implement seven demonstrators located in European coastal regions. These include two in Portugal (Lisbon and Oeiras), two in Italy (Venice and Genova), and one in four other countries: Sweden (Malmø), Germany (Hamburg), the Netherlands and Belgium (Rhine delta). Additionally, the project plans to deploy observers in Azores and Madeira’s autonomous regions and other Portuguese-speaking countries.
The lighthouse demonstrators will exhibit artistic projects focused on the oceans, taking them from a cultural, artistic and closed circle to the streets, neighborhoods and close to the community. “This project will create opportunities for interaction with communities to achieve an environmentally sustainable, socially fair and appealingly transition”, adds the project lead.
In Lisbon and Oeiras, the project will be based in the future “Hub do Mar”, in Pedrouços, where the consortium will develop various demonstration activities related to the blue economy. Moreover, the team will focus on ocean literacy, sustainable food and solutions to mitigate and adapt to rising sea levels.
The “New European Bauhaus” Program, which funds the six selected projects, aims at creating more sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful spaces in locations across the EU and involving citizens in the green transition at the local level. The projects will contribute with innovative ideas and solutions within two years, helping to point the way forward for other NEB actions.
