Established in 1999, the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) has evolved into the central coordination and information platform for marine scientific research in Flanders. VLIZ is a focal point for marine and coastal-related research and serves as an international point of contact in this respect. VLIZ does not conduct research itself, but performs scientific support tasks such as managing an oceanographic data centre, providing logistic assistance, ICT support and web services to researchers, managing a marine library, coordinating and networking, and offering a range of marine information to various target groups. Its strategic objectives are to promote coastal and marine scientific research, to increase its visibility to the public at large by means of popularisation and sensitisation, and to provide scientific information on the oceans, the seas and the coasts to policy makers. VLIZ facilitates a national network of marine scientists and other stakeholders by offering a platform, organizing meetings, congresses and conferences and by issuing publications. VLIZ manages an information desk that provides objective scientific information to people in Flanders and abroad and information of its own accord by responding to current events and promoting marine scientific research through participation in public events and exhibitions, through publications and websites, and by organising and co-organising seminars, workshops and symposia. VLIZ develops and hosts websites and portals for numerous national and international organisations, institutes, projects and other marine initiatives.

Through studies and expert assessments, the French Research Institute for Exploration of the Sea (Ifremer) contributes to knowledge about the oceans and its resources, the monitoring of marine and coastal zones and the sustainable development of maritime activities. For these goals, it designs and operates observational, experimental and monitoring tools and facilities. Ifremer manages the French ocean research fleet for the whole scientific community. Created by decree in 1984, Ifremer is a public institute of industrial and commercial nature. It is placed under the joint supervision of the ministries for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Town and Country Planning; for Higher Education and Research; for Agriculture and Fisheries. Ifremer has contacts with partner organisations in many countries. Cooperation focuses on international research programmes with key countries and on a Mediterranean policy associating Europe with the South coast of the Mediterranean sea.

The German Marine Research Consortium (KDM) is made up of fifteen institutions and universities of Germany in the field of marine and polar sciences as well as of coastal research. With approximately 2,200 scientists of basic and applied marine research, KDM provides comprehensive expertise to meet global challenges having to do with the sea and our environment. KDM’s major goals are (i) the advancement of science and research, in particular in the field marine sciences including polar and coastal research, (ii) fostering the collaboration of its member institutions and the development of joint research programmes, (iii) intensifying the cooperation within German, European and international marine research and the use of infrastructure and large equipment and joint public relations addressing decision makers in Germany and the European Union. KDM is a partner in several EU project, including the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor Observatory (EMSO) within the context of ESFRI. In addition, KDM and its staff have been involved in numerous European level events, activities and projects related to marine science strategy.

With its full functional autonomy the Project Management Agency Juelich (PtJ) is administratively attached to the governmentally owned Research Centre Juelich (FZJ). FZJ has a staff of about 5700 and is one of the largest research centres in Europe. PtJ, with a staff of 800, is an authorized funding agency acting as a programme manager on behalf of several ministries on federal and provincial level such as the Federal Ministries of Education and Science (BMBF) and of Economics and Technology (BMWi). PtJ is responsible for the preparation and implementation of research programmes and thus the evaluation and management of the respective projects. PtJ was established in 1974 and is one of the leading funding agencies in Germany, covering a broad range of topics. Its division MGS (Marine and Polar Research, Geotechnology, Shipping and Marine Technology) in Rostock, Bonn and Berlin is mandated to manage all federal research programmes related to marine and maritime research.

The National Research Council (CNR) develops interdisciplinary scientific and technological research, concerning several sectors: biotechnology, medicine, materials, environment and land, information and communications, advanced systems of production, judicial and socioeconomic sciences, classical studies and arts. Approximately 600 researchers and technicians from many CNR Institutes are involved in marine and maritime activities covering most disciplines as physics, chemistry, biology, fishery studies, oceanography, and engineering. CNR has a long experience in international cooperation, and participates to several European projects, including ERA-nets and Infrastructures in the marine sector (SEAS-ERA, COFASP, Biotech, Jerico, Eurofleets, MyOcean, Eurosites, SeaDataNet). CNR is also member of the Marine Board, EuroGOOS and the National Technological Maritime Platform. CNR runs a ship model basin (at INSEAN), research vessels, platforms, buoys, AUV, SUV etc.

The Research Council of Norway is a national strategic body and funding agency for research and innovation activities. RCN covers all fields of research and innovation and works together with research institutions, as well as the private and public sectors to reach the national financial goals and quality targets set in this area. The Research Council has some 400 employees. RCN plays a vital role in developing and implementing the country’s national research strategy. It acts as 1) a government advisory body, identifying present and future needs for knowledge and research, and recommending national priorities; 2) a funding agency for research programmes and independent projects, strategic programmes at research institutions, and Norwegian participation in international research activities; 3) a coordinator, initiating networks and promoting co-operation between research institutions, ministries, business and industry, public agencies and enterprises, other sources of funding, and users of research. RCN is a member of several international organisations, programmes and institutes and takes active part in international collaboration, and cooperates with similar funding organisations globally. RCN carries the national responsibility for the management of EU framework programmes for research and technological development. On behalf of the Government of Norway, RCN is the coordinator of JPI Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans, and responsible for the management of all activities related to this as well as for the national coordination of matters related to JPI Oceans.

The Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI) is a public entity of the Central Administration under the ultimate authority of Ministry of Education, Research, Youth and Sport (MoERYS). UEFISCDI was established in July 2010, based on the Governmental Ordinance nr. 74/2010 by merging three organisations with responsibilities for the management and administration of various programmes, in the field of higher education, research, development and innovation. UEFISCDI plays the role of executive agency for seven advisory councils of the MECTS with responsibilities in the fields of higher education, research, development and innovation. UEFISCDI implements, under the supervision of its advisory councils, four out of the six programmes of the National Plan for Research, Development and Innovation 2007-2013 (PN II), i.e.: Human Resources (exploratory research), Ideas (exploratory research), Partnerships in Priority S&T Areas (applied research), Innovation (innovation and technology transfer). Externally, UEFISCDI acts for the promotion of Romanian R&D and its integration in the international scientific community, by cooperating with similar organisations in Europe and worldwide and supporting the Romanian R&D actors develop international partnerships. UEFISCDI is involved in 17 international projects, most of them under ERA-NET Scheme/FP6 and FP7. UEFISCDI has strategic partnerships & cooperation agreements with the following organisations: European Science Foundation – ESF, Swiss National Science Foundation – SNSF, L'Agence nationale de la recherche – ANR, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – DFG, National Science Foundation – NSF, USA, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. UEFISCDI is member of different European associations (EARMA, EARTO), offers support to SMEs by EUREKA, EUROSTARS, and administrates the Romanian participation to the Joint Technology initiatives – JTI/JU (ENIAC, Artemis, Clean Sky, Fuel Cells, IMI).

The Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of the Government of Spain (MINECO) implements government policy for research and innovation through the Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation. MINECO is the main governmental funding body for research and innovation, owns and manages the “National Plan for Research, Development and Innovation” to promote high-quality scientific research, training and career development in science and technology, supports centres of excellence, research infrastructures, technology transfer, innovation and science dissemination. MINECO is also committed to promoting internationalisation of Spanish science, supports international networking and co-operation programmes with main European and international funding agencies. Within the National Plan, oceans research is mainly founded through the National Programme for Fundamental Research. Other programme related to innovation, applied research or international activities and infrastructures devoted additional funds to oceans issues. MINECO takes part in Framework Programme projects. Among them, more than fifty ERANETs, including Marinera and SEASERA, which are both coordinated by MINECO.

Cefas, as an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a multidisciplinary scientific research and consultancy centre specialising in fisheries science and management and marine monitoring and assessment. The organisation employs over 550 and provides its services to a large number of UK and international public and private sector clients, including Defra, the Environment Agency, and the European Commission. Cefas enjoys an outstanding reputation within the world community of fisheries science and management and has been at the forefront of fisheries management. Cefas plays a leading role within the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and other international organisations (e.g. EIFAC, NASCO, NAFO, ICCAT, IWC). This work is largely directed towards the collection and analysis of environmental datasets covering a broad range of ecosystem components to determine environmental status. Cefas also provides coherent management advice to the Ministers of the Member States so that the Common Fisheries Policy can be implemented and improved. Our reputation, based on the quality and experience of the staff that we employ, is reflected in the work that we have done for overseas governments in providing an impartial and independent review of assessment and management programmes for a number of their fisheries.

The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is the UK’s largest institution for integrated sea level science, coastal and deep ocean research and technology development. The NOC is wholly owned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and was formed in April 2010 by bringing together the NERC-managed activity at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton and Liverpool’s Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory. The centre was set up to work in close partnership with institutions across the UK marine science community to address key science challenges, including sea level change, the oceans’ role in climate change, predicting and simulating the behaviour of the oceans through computer modelling, the future of the Arctic Ocean and long-term monitoring technologies. The NOC provides the bulk of the UK’s capability to meet the needs of the country’s marine research community. This includes provision of major facilities, programmes of sustained observing, survey, mapping, data management and other functions. Across its two sites, the centre is responsible for Royal Research Ships and deep submersibles, the global mean sea level data archive, the UK’s sea level monitoring system for flood warning and climate change, the national archive of subsea sediment cores (BOSCORF), the National Oceanographic Library, and the UK’s main facility for holding and distributing data concerning the marine environment. The NOC also manages contracts placed by NERC with other organisations to provide some national capability functions. Such organisations are known as Delivery Partners and include: Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Sea Mammal Research Unit, British Antarctic Survey and the British Geological Survey. The centre’s hosting partners are the Universities of Southampton and Liverpool.

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is the national science funding organization of the Netherlands. NWO aims at enhancing the quality and innovative nature of scientific research and stimulates new developments in science and technology. This central aim is being fulfilled by allocating resources via competitive programmes. NWO consists of a number of semi-autonomous thematic research councils which are responsible for the implementation of the NWO mission and strategy for broad fields of science. JPI Oceans falls under the responsibility of the Research Council for Earth and Life Sciences (NWO/ALW). NWO has experience in setting up and carrying out international collaborative research efforts and will help develop best practices and suitable formats for structuring collaborations within JPI Oceans.