João Coimbra
President of the Board of Directors

 CIIMAR DESCRIPTION     [ Download the CIIMAR description as a PDF page in english or portuguese]

In March 2010 we have celebrated 10 years of existence... new image, new website, new installations on the horizon.

The CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research - is a research and advanced training institution of the University of Porto. Its mission is to develop high-quality research, promote technological development and support public policies in the area of Marine and Environmental Sciences.

CIIMAR hosts 15 research groups, organized in 5 research lines, with a scientific staff of more than 250 researchers with diverse scientific backgrounds. Through the integration of different disciplines, the centre aims to contribute to the understanding of the biological, physical and chemical processes which occur in the ocean and the coastal zones, for the sustainable use of aquatic resources and the evaluation of the impact of human activities on ecosystems.

CIIMAR is a renowned centre for advanced training of researchers in Marine Sciences due to its interdisciplinary nature. It supports several MSc courses, the national Doctoral Programme in Environmental and Marine Sciences and the European Doctoral Programme on Marine Ecosystem Health and Conservation. As a result of a partnership of CIIMAR with CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences of the University of Algarve, the status of Associate Laboratory was awarded by the Portuguese Government to CIMAR – Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, in recognition of its scientific excellence in Marine Sciences as determined by international evaluation panels.

 TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

CIIMAR  is  a  founding  member  of  IDCEM  -  Institute  for  the Development  of  the  Knowledge  and  the  Economy  of  the  Sea  - with the aim of enlarging the scope of its transfer of technology capabilities  towards  companies  and  valorisation  of  research.

Through this association, CIIMAR is also a member of the Maritime Cluster  -  OCEANO  XXI,  a  cluster  of  enterprises,  municipalities and  research  centres  that  aims  to  promote  and  strengthen  the national maritime economy.

 SUPPORT TO PUBLIC POLICIES

In  2008,  the  CIIMAR,  through  the  Associate  Laboratory,  was invited   to   integrate   the   “Marine   Board”   of   the   European Science Foundation, a network that aims to facilitate enhanced coordination  between  major  European  organizations  (research councils, funding agencies and research institutes of excellence) and the development of strategies for marine and maritime R&D in Europe. This distinction recognizes the merit of the participation of the CIIMAR  in  the  integration  and  development  of  Marine  Science and Technology in the EU, highlighted during the last Portuguese Presidency in 2007, when two events were organized. The Centre also plays an important role in the definition and implementation of  the  Sea  Agenda  for  the  Northern  Region  as  well  as  in  the territorial cooperation between Galicia and the North of Portugal in the marine and maritime area.