Blue Economy CRC kicks off 17 new research projects

The Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre (BECRC) has recently commissioned 17 short-term scoping projects as part of its research agenda.

These industry-focused projects involve collaboration between industry and research partners and will guide the CRC’s future.

The new projects, spreading across the five BECRC research areas, involve collaboration with 40 participant organisations across the world.

They will run over the next six months.

The scoping projects cover a range of areas, including research into the following:

• Key challenges for offshore high-energy salmon aquaculture production;
  
• Integrated offshore aquaculture and renewable energy infrastructure designs;
  
• Types of marine energy conversion devices suited to offshore conditions that support energy export (such as hydrogen) and storage, as well as aquaculture applications;
  
• Robust site selection procedures, and environmental and operational monitoring strategies including the application of remote monitoring technologies;
  
• Decision support tools for identifying trade-offs and synergies among emerging blue industries and human activities; and also
  
• Ethical, policy and regulatory frameworks for Australia’s emerging Blue Economy and systems for their integration

“The purpose of these projects is to help the Blue Economy CRC develop a clear understanding of existing technologies, solutions, knowledge and trends, and to identify the major challenges and opportunities in eachresearch area.

“These projects will not only provide a platform for future research investment by the BECRC, they will directly benefit our industry partners by pulling together the latest developments in science and technology in this evolving market.

“These projects will support the development of Australia’s sustainable blue economy through the delivery of world-class, industry-focused research into integrated seafood and renewable energy production systems,” he said.

The total projects are valued at over $2.3 million.

Specifically, it consist of A$858k funding direct from the BECRC, and also A$1.44 worth of in-kind commitments from its partners.

Australian wave power firm Carnegie is also taking part in four of these short-term scoping projects.

Carnegie’s team will contribute expertise to the projects as well as help guide the direction of future work.