The SEACHEM consortium successfully organised its third Network-Wide Training Event (NWE#3) in Brest, France, from 14 to 17 October 2024. The event brought together doctoral candidates (DCs), supervisors, and project partners for a dynamic programme of training sessions, workshops, scientific exchanges, and consortium discussions focused on offshore seaweed aquaculture and related technologies.
The first day of the event focused on wellbeing and sustainability awareness, featuring yoga sessions and a workshop exploring how yoga can support scientific work and research practices. Participants also took part in a Climate Fresk workshop aimed at strengthening understanding of climate-related challenges and collaborative approaches to sustainability.
On the second day, participants attended activities organised as part of Sea Tech Week®, an international event dedicated to marine and maritime science and technology held in Brest. The programme included the opening ceremony, exhibition visits, and a high-level session on safety in marine environments. SEACHEM doctoral candidates also organised and delivered a dedicated workshop on “Offshore Seaweed Cultivation, An Emerging Industry: Structural Durability and Biosafety Issues”, presenting research topics related to corrosion monitoring, offshore structures, environmental interactions, and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems.
The consortium meeting held on 16 October provided an opportunity to review project progress and discuss ongoing research activities across the SEACHEM work packages. Doctoral candidates presented updates on their research projects, followed by technical discussions and supervisory board meetings involving both researchers and consortium partners.
The final day included technical presentations and visits to the facilities of the Institut de la Corrosion, including the accelerated corrosion test laboratory and the seawater marine station. These activities provided participants with valuable practical insights into marine corrosion protection systems and monitoring technologies relevant to offshore seaweed cultivation.
NWE#3 represented another important milestone for the SEACHEM project, strengthening collaboration within the consortium while supporting the scientific and professional development of the project’s doctoral candidates.