REISFER partnership emphasizes the collaboration for cleaner Baltic Sea
Last week marked a key milestone for the REISFER project consortium. Although the project has already been running for nearly six months, the first face-to-face meeting was held. On 19 September, the partners of the REISFER project gathered at the lead partner premises at TalTech Estonian Maritime Academy for a productive one-day event. This in-person meeting emphasized the importance of close cooperation and the collective effort required to reduce CO2 emissions in island ferry transport across Estonia, Finland, Åland and Sweden.
The meeting focused on several critical aspects of the project’s implementation. September also marks the end of the first period of the project and, therefore, also the deadline for our first deliverables, we agreed on critical last steps to finalize these. We agreed that the project has set sail according to plan – but now it is time to focus on the feared reporting procedures, as well. The importance of transparent and timely reporting is a foundation for ensuring the integrity of the project for the parnters and all stakeholders involved.
Furthermore, the discussions highlighted the significance of proper planning in achieving the project’s objectives. Strategic foresight, along with collaboration across borders and diciplines, is vital for the successful execution of REISFER’s goals.
To kick-off the knowledge-sharing and create contacts for future cooperation, we had the honour of having Riina Palu, the Chairwoman of Estonian Maritime Cluster, presenting the consortium with the vision, mission and the steps to be taken in the upcoming years to make Estonia not only a country by the sea, but a recognized maritime country with a strong impact from the sector on Estonian economy.
What were the main take-aways?
Gathering industry experts from the ferry transport sector in the same room will, undoubtedly, raise discussion on different technical solutions enabling the lowering of emissions, and also implementing those. It was a common consensus that cooperation and sharing best practices is vital in advancing the sector, not only within the partnership, but also between projects and initiatives. That is one of the reasons why we have the slogan of “Sharing knowledge is in the heart of REISFER” – it is a collaboration towards cleaner seas.
As we are reaching the first reporting session, the concern about the procedures and Jems system was brought up. As the REISFER contact point from the Central Baltic office, Pille Laaksonen, emphasized: “It is not a one-hour exercise – you should start reporting in Jems now!”
“Having went over the guidelines together, we hope that Jems is not a nightmare any more! Remember to ASK, SHARE and LEARN something from each other every day”, said Ulla Tapaninen from TalTech Estonian Maritime Academy.
By fostering knowledge-sharing and maintaining a coordinated approach, the REISFER project partners continue to pave the way towards a more sustainable future for island ferry traffic.
