Seaglow team

On the 23-24 September 2025 SEAGLOW was represented at the Mission Ocean and Waters Conference in Nyborg, Denmark – a gathering that brought together European stakeholders to discuss the EU’s ambitions to protect and restore our oceans, seas, and waters. The conference offered an inspiring platform for dialogue on how research, innovation, and collaboration can drive sustainable change.

Asger Bjerregaaard Christiansen from North Denmark EU-Office showcased SEAGLOW’s work and engaged with participants at the project stand.

In addition to presenting SEAGLOW’s objectives and ongoing activities, Asger also introduced two of SEAGLOW’s sister projects: REFEST and H2SEAS. Both projects address complementary challenges in the maritime and energy sectors, and their synergies with SEAGLOW highlight how collaborative efforts can create broader impact across regions and industries.

The conference provided valuable opportunities to exchange ideas, strengthen networks, and underline the importance of joint European initiatives in tackling the pressing challenges facing our marine environments.

We thank the organizers for an excellent program and all participants for their curiosity, questions, and interest in SEAGLOW’s mission.

Read more about the conference here: Mission Ocean Conference: Danish EU Presidency | The Event

18 June 2025, Gothenburg – This week, the SEAGLOW consortium met in Gothenburg for two days of focused collaboration, hosted by partner the RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. Partners from across Europe came together to exchange knowledge, assess progress, and align the next steps in the project’s mission: delivering practical, low-emission technologies for small-scale fishing vessels.

Funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, SEAGLOW is developing and demonstrating hybrid-electric drivetrains, antifouling coatings, and real-time energy performance tools—all tailored to meet the operational realities of small-scale fishing fleets. The Gothenburg meeting marked a key moment in the project’s journey toward full-scale pilot testing.

Gothenburg’s Electric Boat Fair

Before the formal meeting began, SEAGLOW was on display at “Enjoy the Silence”, Sweden’s flagship electric boat fair, held from 14–16 June in the heart of Gothenburg. The project team engaged with boatbuilders, innovators, and curious members of the public. The fair proved a valuable opportunity to raise visibility, gather feedback, and build momentum ahead of the consortium gathering.

Strengthening Collaboration and Sharing Insights

The internal meeting opened with strategic updates from the coordination team of NDEU, covering project management, communication activities, and recent achievements. Partners’ discussed reporting and administrative matters alongside how to ensure the smooth running and implementation of technical progress across all work packages.

A standout moment of the day was a collaborative session with REFEST, a fellow Horizon Europe project focused on retrofitting existing fishing vessels with efficient, easy-to-deploy technologies. The REFEST team shared lessons learned and explored potential synergies—from propulsion systems and retrofit strategies to shared policy outreach. The Project Advisor from CINEA, who oversees both projects, joined the discussion to support collective reflection and exchange—highlighting a growing spirit of collaboration and clustering among European marine innovation initiatives.

A tour of RISE’s marine research facilities followed, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the testbeds and infrastructure that are helping assessing SEAGLOW’s ideas feasibility.

Upcoming milestones

Day two of the meeting was devoted to technical deep-dives, with each of SEAGLOW’s five core work packages presenting their  upcoming deadlines and deliverables:

• WP1 (AZTI): : Policy framework for an effective small-scale fisheries decarbonisation

• WP2 (SINTEF): Preparation and baseline measurements

• WP3 (DTI): Implementation in real-life working conditions in fishing vessels

• WP4 (RISE): : Environmental evaluation & validation of solutions demonstrated

• WP5 (FBCD): Commercialisation, exploitation, & economic sustainability

The presentations sparked thoughtful discussion around design challenges, demonstration timelines, and stakeholder engagement strategies. The day concluded with a project-wide wrap-up, consolidating key actions and preparing the consortium for the crucial demonstration phase.

Looking Ahead

With a strong collaborative foundation and growing visibility across Europe’s maritime innovation landscape, SEAGLOW is entering a pivotal stage. Over the coming months, its technologies will be trialed aboard four demonstration vessels operating in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Estonia.

As testing moves from the lab to the water, the project remains focused on its core ambition: helping small-scale fishers transition to cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable practices—without compromising on safety, performance, or economic viability.

Stay connected with SEAGLOW for the latest updates, pilot results, and upcoming events as the project continues to chart a greener course for Europe’s fisheries.

Seaglow is at the forefront of advancing the energy transition in the European Union’s fisheries, with a particular focus on ensuring that small-scale fisheries (SSF) have access to the technological solutions necessary to address emerging challenges while meeting regulatory requirements.

In pursuit of this objective, Seaglow actively follows the work of the Energy Transition Partnership (ETP) for EU fisheries and aquaculture sector, an initiative launched by the European Commission in 2023. The ETP provides a collaborative platform for a wide range of stakeholders to tackle the complexities of transitioning to sustainable energy.

The work of the ETP focuses on knowledge sharing on innovation, technologies, skills, and finance to support the sector’s transition towards climate neutrality by 2050. A key activity in achieving this goal is the establishment of a Support Group (SG) to the ETP — a collaborative, bottom-up, and voluntary advisory body that brings together representatives from all major segments of the sector, ensuring that diverse perspectives are reflected in shaping the transition. The SG is structured around ten thematic working groups, each focused on a key area of the transition, and led by a representative acting as group coordinator. Two partners of the Seaglow consortium play leading roles in this structure by acting as SG Coordinators, helping to facilitate the strategic direction and outputs of the Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries and Research Organisations and Academia groups. Through these roles, Seaglow aims to positively contribute to discussions on innovation, investment, capacity building, and regulatory alignment.

These coordinated efforts will feed into the ETP recommendations, to inform the future Energy Transition roadmap that sets out tangible milestones and actionable measures to guide the transformation of the fisheries landscape toward climate neutrality by 2050.

The Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries Working Group

One of these groups is dedicated to addressing the specific challenges of small-scale fisheries in the energy transition. It is coordinated by Marta Cavallé of the Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE), a European platform that advocates for the interests of small-scale fishers. “The Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries (SSCF) Working Group is committed to addressing the unique challenges of the energy transition in small-scale fisheries by exploring practical, cost-effective solutions and advocating for equitable access to financial and technological resources“, she explains.

Small-scale fisheries, deeply rooted in coastal communities, operate under financial constraints and have limited access to investment opportunities. The transition to low-emission and energy-efficient solutions is hindered by high technological costs. Additionally, small-scale coastal fisheries must adopt practical, affordable solutions to ensure both environmental sustainability and long-term economic viability. This working group explores cost-effective innovations such as hybrid propulsion systems, renewable energy applications, and optimised fishing techniques while looking into tailored financial support mechanisms and ensuring equitable access to investment opportunities.

In February and March 2025, the working group held its first two meetings. The first brought together 16 small-scale fishers and representatives from 13 countries to identify key challenges, opportunities, and the main human, technical, financial, and regulatory barriers to the sector’s energy transition. The second meeting focused on technical and research gaps, with Seaglow representatives, experts, and fishers already piloting solutions sharing insights on the current state of energy transition technologies in small-scale fisheries.

The Research Organisations and Academia Working Group

Energy reform in EU fisheries is drawing growing interest from researchers, including due to its direct link to climate goals and sustainability agenda. Academic work is key to finding low-impact, cost-effective solutions that keep the sector both green and competitive. Gorka Gabiña of AZTI—a scientific and technological centre specialised in the marine environment and food sectors—leads this working group, which explores how research and academia can support the energy transition across fisheries and aquaculture. “The Research Organisations and Academia Working Group is committed to address the specific challenges of the energy transition in fisheries and aquaculture by analysing potential solutions for each case from the point of view of financing, regulatory framework, technology gaps and readiness, skills and short, medium and long term objectives and insights in order to design a pathway to facilitate the energy transition in fisheries and aquaculture” Gorka Gabina explains.

As the energy transition aligns with broader climate change mitigation efforts and EU sustainability policies, academic and research institutions play a crucial role in developing innovative, energy-efficient technologies and sustainable fishing methods. This group fosters collaboration between academia, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to translate research findings into actionable strategies and practical solutions tailored to the realities of small-scale, large-scale and distance water fisheries and inland and offshore aquaculture plants.

The first Working Group was held in February 2025. This meeting was attended by 12 researchers and academics from 7 different countries. The working group is made up of members with different professional profiles that contain a very strong potential for finding synergies for the promotion of the energy transition from the field of research and academia. They deal with energy audits and tailored solutions, aquaculture innovation and technology, monitoring and AI apps, roadmap and pathways, fisheries technology, skills, living labs, engines and alternative fuels, naval architecture, finance opportunities and funding programs.
The second Working Group, held in March 2025, focused on identifying key drivers and barriers for advancing the energy transition, including regulatory frameworks, future pathways, and gaps in technology and research.

The Strategic Importance of the Energy Transition Partnership (ETP)

The ETP platform enables stakeholders to collectively identify challenges and propose viable solutions for the energy transition.
In December 2024, Michael Rafn of North Denmark EU Office, Seaglow’s project leader organisation, presented Seaglow at the first ETP meeting organised by The ETP Assistance Mechanism in collaboration with DG MARE. The workshop, titled “Navigating the Energy Transition: Strategic Goals for a Resilient and Sustainable Fisheries Fleet” facilitated connections with sectoral group members, coordinators, and other projects working toward a greener small-scale fisheries sector. The findings from this workshop have been published, detailing key discussions, challenges, solutions, and recommendations to inform the sector’s transition strategies.

A second key workshop, “Navigating the Future of EU Fisheries through Energy Transition” was held in April 2025. Building on prior working group and stakeholder discussions, it enabled a critical review and prioritisation of draft recommendations for supporting the sector’s energy transition. Participants mapped key stakeholders, assessed barriers, and proposed additional measures to address emerging needs. These insights will inform the Energy Transition roadmap to be developed by early 2026. Workshop presentations are already available, with full findings to be published soon.

The ETP will continue gathering information and insights from stakeholders, ensuring that all voices are heard and considered in shaping the pathway toward climate neutrality by 2050. On 21 May, during the European Maritime Day (EMD) in Cork, Ireland, the ETP will host a session titled “Taking Stock of the Energy Transition Partnership Towards the Roadmap”. The session will provide a comprehensive summary of the findings produced so far during the working group meetings and stakeholder workshops, and it will offer stakeholders an opportunity to exchange views and contribute to refining recommendations and developing practical solutions for the sector’s energy transition.

Seaglow remains committed to driving the adoption of sustainable energy solutions in the fisheries sector. Through active engagement in the ETP and collaboration with key stakeholders, Seaglow continues to work towards a just, efficient, and financially viable transition for small-scale fisheries, aligned with the EU’s long-term energy objectives.

Seaglow gratefully acknowledges the ETP Assistance Mechanism for its contribution to the drafting of this article.

We are pleased to announce that our work has been featured in the January/February 2025 edition of Eurofish International Organisation Magazine.

The article highlights our commitment to advancing sustainability in the Baltic and North Sea, emphasizing our approach to integrating technological innovation while navigating an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. As the industry evolves, we remain dedicated to developing solutions that promote both environmental responsibility and economic viability in the fisheries sector.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Eurofish Magazine for recognizing our efforts. We look forward to continuing our work in shaping the future of sustainable fisheries.

 Read the full article here at page 19-20