DOORS, an EU-funded initiative, aligns with the Black Sea Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) to address challenges and foster Blue Growth in this unique marine basin. By harmonizing research, supporting start-ups, and shaping policy, DOORS aims to transform obstacles into opportunities, ensuring a prosperous and sustainable future for the Black Sea region.

DOORS will bring the four pillars of the SRIA into reality, turning the challenges into opportunities for a highly valued Black Sea. It will harmonise research and provide the infrastructure to better understand the Black Sea, particular ecosystem characteristics, develop the framework to support Blue Growth and early development of start-ups, and provide evidence to inform policy and behavioural change. 

A Horizon Europe project
Project dates: 1st June 2021 to 31st May 2025
EMBRC role : partner
Funding: €9,795,350.00
Grant agreement number: 101000518

To reach its ambitious objectives, the project team will work closely with stakeholders from the start to develop an open research system and establish a framework to support continuous stakeholder dialogue.

DOORS will implement three Work Programmes: 

  1. a System of Systems to harmonise approaches and provide an accessible data repository, 
  2. a Blue Growth Accelerator to support enterprise, 
  3. and Knowledge Transfer and Training to share best practice and build capacity. 


EMBRC role: 

EMBRC is involved in the harmonisation of methodologies for sampling, measurement, analysis and modelling, taking into account best practices. EMBRC will also be supporting the sustainable development of businesses underpinning Black Sea Blue Growth (BG) as well as developing formal and informal learning, education, training and use of knowledge and technologies. EMBRC will further participate in the promotion of stakeholder dialogue and co-design towards sustainable and effective support to the Black Sea research and innovation partnerships through the implementation of the Black Sea Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). 
 

Cordis factsheet

Current projects

PROJECT
AQUASERV provides researchers access to top European infrastructures, advancing studies in fisheries, aquaculture, and sustainability, while supporting key EU policies like the Green Deal and Farm to Fork.
PROJECT
The EU-funded BlueRemediomics project aims to unlock the vast potential of marine microbiomes for sustainable ecosystem services and biodiscovery. Using advanced technologies, it aims to understand the composition, interactions, and functions of marine microbes. BlueRemediomics will develop bioinformatics platforms, innovative culturomics, and high-throughput screening tools to identify natural products. It promotes responsible exploitation, equitable access, and ocean literacy while fostering aquaculture and ecosystem health.
PROJECT
BIOcean5D is a collaborative effort among European institutions to explore marine biodiversity comprehensively. With cutting-edge technologies and extensive research, it aims to understand and preserve marine ecosystems amidst rapid changes in the Anthropocene era. This initiative will generate valuable data, inform ecological theories, develop indicators of ecosystem health, and foster sustainable management of oceans.
PROJECT
ANERIS, funded by the EU, designs Operational Marine Biology to systematically measure ocean life. It combines advanced tools like genomics, bio-optics, and participatory sciences. Through innovation and collaboration, it supports academia, industry, governments, civil society, and research infrastructures, promising enhanced observational systems and innovative life-sensing technologies.
PROJECT
AgroServ, an EU-funded initiative, pioneers a holistic approach to understand and address challenges in agriculture. By integrating diverse stakeholders and employing transdisciplinary research, it aims to foster resilient and sustainable agroecological systems across Europe. Through living labs, data ecosystems, and community building, AgroServ strives to empower farmers and researchers alike, ensuring impactful insights for evidence-based policymaking and long-term sustainability.
PROJECT
eDNAqua-Plan seeks to gather information on aquatic monitoring projects, assessing standardization efforts, and evaluating the feasibility of creating a FAIR-based digital ecosystem for eDNA repositories and a dynamic species reference library to support future biodiversity monitoring initiatives in marine and freshwater ecosystems.