WATERBORNE has been set up as an industry-oriented Technology Platform to establish a continuous dialogue between all waterborne stakeholders, such as classification societies, shipbuilders, shipowners, maritime equipment manufacturers, infrastructure and service providers, universities or research institutes, and with the EU Institutions, including Member States.

The strategic objectives of the WATERBORNE TP are:

• Establish a continuous dialogue between all stakeholders in the waterborne transport sector and in other waterborne-related sectors on R&D;
• Contribute to the widest possible consensus regarding R&D and to focusing of efforts and resources;
• Develop a common medium- and long-term R&D Vision and a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA);
• Contribute to the appropriate mobilisation and allocation of the necessary financial resources (private/regional/national/EU sources);
• Contribute to the social expectations regarding clean, competitive and safe waterborne transport as well as regarding other waterborne-related activities, including education and training.
  

Friends of Europe is a Brussels-based, not-for-profit think-tank for European Union policy analysis and debate. The organisation, established in 1999, has no political or national allegiance and is independent of the EU institutions.

Friends of Europe has expertise in the full spectrum of issues now shaping the EU of tomorrow. From industrial policies to health and the environment, and from defence and security to Europe’s relationships with Asia, Africa and the US, Friends of Europe is Brussels’ ‘Go To’ think tank and event host.

Smart Waste Portugal – Business Development Network (SWP) is a non-profit private Association, whose mission is to create a national platform, involving all players in the sector, promoting and valuing waste as an economic and social resource, creating conditions to the competitive acting across the value chain through a collaborative approach, promoting innovation, research, development and implementation solutions. 

SWP Association intends to join the movement to boost Portugal competitiveness, based on a circular economy, by identifying and contributing to create new business and innovation opportunities as well as new business models and more efficient production and consumption forms. SWP aims to:

• Generate opportunities to waste sector and industry; 
• Produce and disseminate knowledge in the field of waste sector and circular economy; 
• Stimulate actions highlighting the cooperation between the entities operating in the waste sector; 
• Establish preferred contacts with universities, companies, research institutes and other organizations, public or private, and with similar national, foreign and international associations; 
• Promote dialogue and involvement; 
• Stimulate the research and exchange of ideas and projects;    
• Implement solutions to the market; 
• Provide support and sharing; 
• Have common purposes and motivations;   
• Create reciprocity, benefits and mutual value; 
• Create value and shared talent to compete and win. 

PTPC is a Portuguese non-profit private association founded in 2011. The aim of the PTPC is to gather national stakeholders from the construction sector in Portugal – large companies and industry, SMEs, universities, research organisations, associations and public agencies and to develop new strategies and initiatives on the sector, by fostering research and innovation to improve competitiveness in the general framework of the economy, and gathering and promoting the cooperation between the different stakeholders.

PTPC has the following goals:

• Competitiveness – to increase innovation in companies, by fostering networking between partners with industry connections and ensuring the dissemination of results and transferability of technology;
• Technological Surveillance – to create a technological surveillance hub environment in the scientific domain, related with the construction activity, and to promote dissemination and communication of new knowledge;
• Innovation related to technologies systems, processes and products – to promote investment in R&D&I activities for applied technological development and process transformation, to respond to the current and future societal requirements and trends;
• Innovation related to management methods – to develop new management concepts and methodologies relevant to the sector;
• Innovation related to information technologies – to promote the development of information technologies for companies.
  

Fórum Oceano – Association of Maritime Economy is the entity responsible for fostering the Portuguese Maritime Cluster, a Competitiveness and Internationalisation Cluster recognised by the Portuguese Government.

The strategic objectives of Fórum Oceano are to enhance the cooperation between companies, research and development centres, higher education institutions, public administration and other entities; to promote the competitiveness in the main value chains that use the Sea and marine resources as central elements of its activity; and to contribute to economic growth, exports, employment, and to increase the relative importance of the Blue economy in the economy of the country