In the Azores, the University of Le Havre Normandy is strengthening its research partnerships through EUNICoast

From June 22 to 26, 2026, the University of the Azores (UAc) hosted the intensive international training program “Research & Innovation Trends in Islands, Ports, and Coastal Territories,” organized as part of the European alliance EUNICoast. Nine members of the University of Le Havre Normandy traveled to Ponta Delgada for this week-long event dedicated to research and innovation in island, port, and coastal regions.

A week to turn contacts into research projects

The week began with sessions focused on the research agendas of European university alliances, smart specialization strategies, and European funding. These were followed by workshops on open science, scientific communication, research management, and intellectual property. Participants also toured the UAc’s research units and laboratories, focusing in particular on volcanology, marine biology, biotechnology, biodiversity, agriculture, and the social sciences, before taking a tour of the city of Ponta Delgada and a field trip to the island of São Miguel.

Encouraging feedback

For Douglas Keller, Junior Professor at the Laboratory for Complex Waves and Media (LOMC), this week was above all an opportunity to better understand how the alliance operates: “This week helped me see how the alliance is organized and gave me the opportunity to spend more time with the team that runs it on a daily basis. Getting a big-picture view of EUNICoast, through the eyes of my colleagues who lead it, makes me want to get even more involved. ”
He also spoke with researchers working on topics similar to his own—connections he plans to maintain when the academic year begins.
“In my view, EUNICoast represents a real opportunity to build collaborations and carry out interdisciplinary projects between institutions.”

A week that fuels the EUNICoast momentum

This week in the Azores illustrates the momentum generated by EUNICoast: by bringing together research teams from partner institutions, the alliance paves the way for new scientific collaborations for researchers and staff at the University of Le Havre Normandy.