We are glad to inform that members of the Board of the Society of Island Biology have published a major article on biodiversity loss on islands: Scientists’ warning – The outstanding biodiversity of islands is in peril in Global Ecology and Conservation. FORWARD project had the privilege of supporting Island Biology conference held in La Réunion in 2019, https://ib2019.sciencesconf.org. This conference was a keystone in the activities of the Society and publications such as the one presented here are representative of its activity.

The paper, in open-access, can be found here

A summary of the article :
Islands are key in Earth’s biodiversity as they treasure outstanding endemicity, but most of these endemic species are vulnerable. In fact around 50% of the threatened species and 75% of the known extinctions since the European expansion around the globe have happened on islands. The loss of at least 800 insular species in the past 500 years has been documented but there are many that had already gone extinct following the arrival of first human colonists on islands in prehistoric times. The authors present examples of species and insular radiation (the diversification of species on islands) and they analyse the natural vulnerability of the insular biota. This is linked to genetic and demographic factors as a result of founder events (small initial pioneer populations, thus reduced genetic diversity) as well as often small population sizes. The authors defend that the evolution toward island syndromes (trends found on island species) might have improved the ability of species to thrive under natural conditions but it has made island biota vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures such as habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive species, and climate change. The article proposes a summary of current scientific knowledge on the ongoing biodiversity loss on islands. The authors express their concern that the current tendency will be fatal to islands’ biota and they urge for action to limit island biodiversity loss.

 

The reference:
Fernández-Palacios, J.M., Kreft, H., Irl, S.D., Norder, S., Ah-Peng, C., Borges, P.A.V., Burns, K.C., de Nascimiento, L., Meyer, J.-Y., Montes, E. &Drake, D.R. (2021). Scientists’ warning – The outstanding biodiversity of islands is in peril. Global Ecology and Conservation, 31: e01847. DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01847 (IF2020 3,380; Q1 Ecology)

A call on biodiversity has been recently launched by the European Biodiversity Partnership (former BiodivERsA).

The call is entitled “Supporting the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems across land and sea” and is focused on the protection of biodiversity in the wild. The call covers all environments, i.e. terrestrial, freshwater and marine.

Research teams are invited to form transnational research consortia with eligible partners from minimum 3 countries participating in the call (including minimum two from EU Member States or EU Associated Countries). The call also covers research on biodiversity conservation in the Outermost Regions (ORs) of the EU.

A Biodiversa+ formal launch event is planned on 17-18 November 2021. You can register to the event and find more information about the call here.

 

On 23rd and 24th September, our FORWARD partners are attending the project annual General Assembly (GA) meeting. 

The Assembly is held once per year and gathers together representatives from all the 24 project partners. The aim of this third GA meeting is to take stock of the results achieved during the previous year and plan the remaining work until the end of the project (June 2022).

On 23rd September, the meeting started with welcoming words from the FORWARD Coordinator Mr. Antonio Lopez, Canary Islands’ Agency for Research, Innovation and Information Society, followed by the intervention of our EU Commission’s Project Officer, Dr. Joao Albuquerque.

The meeting foresaw the presentation of the work conducted under 4 Work Packages of the project:

  • WP2 – Diagnostics of ORs’ R&I ecosystems. Speaker: Philippe Holstein, Reunion Agency for Development, Investment & Innovation.
  • WP3 – Co-creation and implementation of thematic action plans. Speaker: Lucia Dobarro, Technological Institute of the Canary Islands.
  • WP4 – Capacity building and training activities. Speaker: Tiago Valente, Azores Regional Fund for Science and Technology.
  • WP5 – Networking activities. Speaker: Javier Roo, Canary Islands’ Agency for Research, Innovation & Information Society

On 24th September, partners will have the chance to make the point on the remaining Work Packages:

  • WP6 – Connecting research and policy making. Speaker: Lucio Quintal, Madeira Agency for the Development of Research, Technology & Innovation.
  • WP7 – Monitoring, evaluation and performance. Speaker: Hadel Laou, Regional Department of Mayotte.
  • WP8 – Dissemination and communication. Speaker: Karine Leopold, Territorial Collectivity of French Guiana.
  • WP1 – Management, coordination, and reporting. Speaker: Michelle Perello & Beatrice Avagnina, Consulta Europa Projects & Innovation.

In the coming weeks, we will issue a more detailed report on the outcomes achieved so far by the project and the next trainings, activities, and events planned for the last 8 months of the project. Stay tuned!

 

Today, on 10th September 2021, the Thematic Working Group (TWG) sub-coordinators, deputies, and facilitators have held their periodic follow-up meeting.

During the event, members have made the point on the status of TWG action plans after the summer period. They have also discussed upcoming tasks, achievements, and needs. The groups will be very busy in autumn to conduct their thematic activities and strive for the preparation of new EU proposal applications, especially under the Horizon Europe programme.

Soon, we will publish more information about ongoing TWG work. Meanwhile, you can read more about the TWG objectives, plans, and team in our newly developed infographics.

Stay tuned!

 

 

 

FORWARD Consortium will be joining 10,000 islanders from around the world as a speaker at the Virtual Island Summit! It’ s a free online event designed to connect global islands, isolated areas and share their common experiences, best practices and solutions.

On September 10, from 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm Brussels time, Forward team will present the results of ORs Research and Innovation ecosystem diagnostic, tailored actions, training and networking, common strategy. At 4.pm, there will be a Forward booth if attendees want to go further in the discussion with the Forward team.

The main highlights of the Forward session in the Virtual Island Summit are as follows:

– FORWARD PROJECT COORDINATOR : Dr. Fco. Javier Roo Filgueira – “Introducing Forward”
– FORWARD PROJECT MANAGER AND CEO AT CONSULTA EUROPA : Dr. Michelle Perello

« Forward ; a EU project to foster research and innovation excellence in Outermost Regions »

-RESEARCH & INNOVATION MANAGER AT NEXA : Dr Evelyne Tarnus, « Outermost Regions in the European Research & Innovation Area »

– HEAD OF SECTION AT INNOVATION DEPARTMENT, CANARY ISLANDS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: Lucía Dobarro-Delgado – “Co-create with the researchers and innovators from the European Outermost Regions”

– DIRECTOR OF THE INNOVATION, RESEARCH AND DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, Collectivité Territoriale of French Guiana : Marc Sagne – “The ORs, tropical Europe as an opportunity to expand the challenges of excellence in innovation and research”.

-ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN COMPUTER SCIENCES, University of French Guiana, Sarah Zirmani – “ Innovation capacity in energy transition of a European outermost region : Case of French Guiana” . We encourage you to join us as stakeholders from across the world to collaborate on issues around sustainable development and the future prosperity.

To find out more and register visit https://islandinnovation.co/virtual-island-summit-2021/

Organised by the DESAL+ project, the Desalination for the Environment Conference will take place on 20-23 June 2022 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.

The conference will be devoted to advances towards providing fresh water for all, at affordable cost and at economical energy requirements. The most recent developments in desalination technologies will be addressed and discussed with international high-level experts.

 

In the framework of the European Maritime Day in My Country 2021 (#EMDinMyCountry), the REBECA, REBECA-CCT, and FORWARD projects organised an international workshop on blue bio-economy based on algae in the Macaronesia and EU outermost regions.

The event was successful, with high-level interventions from a wide range of experts from Canary Islands, Azores, Cape Verde, Mauritaria and La Réunion, along with European Commission’s representatives.

The video of the workshop is now available:

As a reminder, Forward program aims to increase outermost regions (ORs) participation in EU framework programme and increase their Research and Innovation capacities.

8 thematic groups have been defined based on the pillars of the Horizon

Europe program and ORs common interests. Since December 2020, experts

from Europe, ORs and other countries have had online meetings.

After 3 months of exchanges/interactions/common work, an action plan has

been drawn by all the Thematic Working Groups (TWG) members with general ambition for each TWG.

  • Discover :
    • 3 explanatory infographics
      • Infographic 1 : introducing 8 thematic working groups – available here
      • Infographic 2 : objectives of the thematic working groups aligned with high potential of ORS – available here
      • Infographic 3 : actives members from several ORs and structures – available here

 

    • 8 infographics, 1 per thematic group relating main actions decided by ORs to capitalize their common interest.
      • TWG 1 : HEALTH, APPLIED MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES , DIAGNOSTICS AND THERAPIES – available here
      • TWG2 : SOCIAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL INNOVATION – available here
      • TWG 3 : EARTH, SPACE AND UNIVERSE SCIENCES – available here
      • TWG 4 : INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY – available here
      • TWG 5 : CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY TRANSITION – available here
      • TWG 6 : AGRICULTURE, APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES, BIOTECHNOLOGY, BIO-SYSTEMS ENGINEERING – available here
      • TWG 7 : BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION – available here
      • TWG 8 : MARINE SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGIES – available here

 

All the infographics are also available here

FORWARD has been featured on the news of the EURADA Network.

EURADA has released a detailed publication about our project objectives and activities. You can access it here.

Founded in 1992, the European Association of Development Agencies (EURADA) gathers professionals working on economic development across Europe. The association facilitates the cooperation among regional economic development practitioners.

EURADA, in its wide network, counts two members from the outermost regions: the FORWARD  Coordinator ACIISI and the partner NEXA.