The TWINNEDbySTARS community successfully held its most recent co-creation workshop on 13 and 14 November 2024, an event that brought together companies and experts from the maritime and tourism sectors of the outermost regions. Conducted online, this meeting allowed wide participation and strengthened the synergies between the members of the community, one of the fundamental pillars of the project.
Patricia Telle, President of the Commission of International Cooperation of the Collectivité Territoriale de Martinique (CTM), welcomed the first day of the workshop. After Marie-Claude Derné (CTM) presented the objectives and expected results of this meeting, the session begun with the description of several good practices in the field of sustainability and maritime transport in the Caribbean region, addressed by renowned specialists. Daniel Ecalard of SEAFRET presented the innovative concept of ‘cargo under sail’ as an ecological and economical solution. Gilles Marsal of CANOPEE BLEUE spoke about sustainable maritime transport within the Caribbean region.
For the second session, Simon Jean-Joseph from LA MARINA DU MARIN shared environmental management initiatives for certification process. On the other hand, Misael Morales Vargas from BIOSEAN presented the product his team has been working on during the past two workshops. This product consists of on-board training and hydrophones that address the use of acoustic monitoring technology and on-board learning opportunities, enriching training perspectives in the marine domain.
Afterwards, Xavier Martínez Sirvent, from Nautic Ocean, presented the product they have been working on during the previous workshops. Along with Keep Sailing and Happy Hour, Xavier presented the ‘Atlantic Starlight Charter Experience’, a nautical tourism proposal that seeks to offer a sustainable and multi-destination approach.
The first day concluded with a presentation by Lydia Cabau from Nautic Ocean, who introduced participants and companies from Martinique, providing an opportunity for local companies to highlight their potential and connect with other members of the TWINNEDbySTARS community. This was a moment to collectively show and discuss each enterprise’s interest in joining the product presented during the day or showing new ideas that could be worked on.
The second day started with the presentation of business standardisation and certification tools, with sessions led by experts from the Canary Islands, Azores, and Martinique. This presentation was facilitated by Monica Quesada, from the Maritime Cluster of the Canary Islands.
Subsequently, Clément Dromer from Ti-Fumes de Clément explored innovative methods in seafood processing. In addition, the workshop highlighted the innovative ‘ecoRoute’ project, an initiative that responds to the need for economic diversification in the outermost regions, integrating their rich underwater cultural heritage and biodiversity into an intelligent ecological and cultural tourism offer (UCNT).
Another highlight was the individual self-assessment facilitated by Yen Lam Gonzalez from ULPGC-TIDES, where companies identified key needs and co-designed region-specific trainings. These results were subsequently reflected upon by the community members.
This workshop marks a significant step forward in the consolidation of the TWINNEDbySTARS community and reaffirms the project’s commitment to innovation and collaboration in the outermost regions. With each new meeting, TWINNEDbySTARS moves closer to its goal of developing sustainable nautical tourism and astro tourism, fostering cooperation between companies to create a positive and lasting impact on their territories.
