From today, January 15, the CIIMAR will have a new board of directors until 2018, chaired by Vitor Vasconcelos and also composed by Luisa Valente, Filipe Castro, Miguel Santos and Natividade Vieira.

For the President of the new board, the priorities for next years are "to stimulate excellence and scientific autonomy of CIIMAR; take full advantage of the existing resources and attract promising researchers”. Vitor Vasconcelos also wants "to approach the CIIMAR to the general public” and placing the Center as "a service provider of excellence in the area of the Sea".

By moving to its new building and location at Leixões Harbour, CIIMAR will get excellent conditions to continue its mission, and it will be able to interact more directly with many stakeholders such as APDL, IPMA, DOCAPESCA, Fish and Seafood restaurants, fish canning industry among others.  “This will create the perfect environment for new exciting collaborations that will lead to technology transfer. Regional, national and European funds are available for co-promotion activities with industry that we should not miss”.

Vitor Vasconcelos is a professor of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP), as well as Director of the PhD program on Marine Biotechnology and Aquaculture of UPorto and U Minho. He is a member of the European Marine Board from 2011 and a regular evaluator of grants and projects in the area of marine science and environment in the FCT and their counterparts in France, Czech Republic, Israel, Chile, among others.