The Blue Governance Laboratory (BlueGovLab) at Universitat Jaume I successfully kicked off its activities in 2025 with its first seminar: Seas in Transition: Blue Governance in the Face of Environmental and Technological Challenges. Held on October 1, 2025, the seminar aimed to tackle the critical environmental and technological issues threatening the sustainability of marine ecosystems, with a special focus on the Mediterranean. The event brought together leading research centers and institutional actors to analyze how innovation, science, and intersectoral collaboration can forge effective and resilient blue governance.

The morning session fostered a vital dialogue between academia, port authorities, and public policy experts. Presentations featured distinguished speakers, including directors from the Oceanographic Center of the Balearics (IEO-CSIC), the Torre de la Sal Aquaculture Institute (IATS-CSIC), and the Center for Marine Technology (CETMAR). Key topics included microplastic pollution, sustainable aquaculture, illegal fishing, and marine planning. A lively debate on “Technological Challenges and Blue Governance” concluded the morning, featuring experts from various university “cátedras”, Port Castellón, and university marine laboratories. See UJI’s press release of the event for more details.