The consortium, which comprises three Finnish universities engaged in Baltic Sea research, three research institutes and Arctia Shipping Ltd, is part of the national roadmap for research infrastructures for 2014-2020.
Mari Walls, director, SYKE's Marine Research Centre, said: "The key goal is to enable a broad-based use of national resources and open access to information, thus enhancing the opportunities for creating goal-oriented partnerships both nationally and internationally.”
"The selection of marine research for the national roadmap by the Academy of Finland is a recognition of the importance of marine science in Finland and the high quality of Finnish marine research. Inclusion in the roadmap will enhance our research-related networking opportunities, especially in Europe. In the long run, this is necessary for continued research activities. National roadmaps will have a strong, long-term influence on the allocation of national and international funding," added Mr Walls.
The consortium will develop a common set of real-time, automated marine research tools for all institutions to help better serve marine research and the monitoring of the marine environment.
A multinational group of scientific experts will provide guidelines for the consortium’s activities.
The consortium for FINAMRI represents Finland in ESFRI, the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures, and is an active participant in various other emerging networks within the European marine research sector.
