Partners

The project has 6 participating partners that are directly related to the principal sector of the project: the naval ancillary industry. These partners belong to 3 participating countries from the Atlantic Area.
Spain:

• The Fundación Calidad, Lead Partner.
• ACLUNAGA,representing the shipping industry in Galicia.

Portugal:

• Bic Minho and the Asociaçao das Indústrias Marítimas (AIM), representatives organizations of Portugal.

United Kingdom :

• On behalf of the British collaboration, partnership Shipbuilders & Shiprepairers Association (SAA) and the Universidad of Glasgow.

The partners that promote this project are the following five organizations:

Fundación para el Fomento de la Calidad Industrial y el Desarrollo Tecnológico de Galicia (Foundation for the Promotion of Industrial Quality and Technological Development of Galicia - SPAIN)
The Foundation for the Promotion of Industrial Quality and Technological Development of Galicia was formed in October 1996 as a non profit-organization by the Ministry of Innovation and Industry of the Xunta de Galicia (Galician autonomous government).

This organization was pronounced to be of industrial interest by command of the Ministry of Presidency and Public Administration on the 2nd of December 1996 (published on the DOG –Galician Official Gazette– no. 241 from the 11th of December), of interest for Galicia by command of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce from the 19th of December 1996 (published on the DOG no. 253 from the 30th of December) and registered into the Single Register of Foundations of interest for Galicia with number 1996/13.

With the aim to contribute to ensure and guarantee its management, the Foundation certified its administrative system with the ISO 9002:94 on the 27th of July 2000. Later, on the 1st of February 2001, they updated this certificate with the ISO 9001:2000 regulation, thus being the first Galician organization to fulfil this process of certification, as well as one of the first in Spain.

The objectives of the Foundation are promoting the dissemination and application of policies related to quality, technology and innovation; they additionally have the management of technological infrastructures, the Centre of Innovation and Services (CIS) of the Design and Technology of Galicia, the Centre of Innovation and Technological Services (CIS) of Wood of Galicia and the Official Laboratory of Metrology of Galicia. From each of these centres they carry out the activities described in the framework of their technical and strategy competences.

Asociación Cluster del Naval Gallego – ACLUNAGA (Association of the Galician Naval Cluster - SPAIN)
The mission of the Galician Naval Cluster (ACLUNAGA), which was created through the initiative of the Ministry of Innovation and Industry of the Xunta de Galicia (Galician autonomous government), is improving the competitiveness and promoting the development of the group of companies that make up the Galician naval sector, thus establishing consensus between the participants on the following subjects:
•    The challenges they are facing
•    The objectives and strategies to overcome them
•    The priority actions to be carried out by the companies and Cluster itself, with the support and participation of the rest of agents present in the sector (administration, university, unions, sectorial organizations, etc.)

Nowadays the Cluster is made up of 133 companies, whose products and services fulfil all the parts of the value chain of the naval construction (from shipyards and engineering firms to classification and certification societies, and taking into account providers of equipment goods and suppliers, authorizing firms, installers or metal companies). Thus, ACLUNAGA’s first aim, which is becoming the institution which more faithfully reflects and represents the Galician naval sector, is fulfilled.

Oficina da Inovação S.A. – BIC Minho (Office of Innovation BIC Minho - PORTUGAL)
The Office of Innovation S.A. (BIC Minho) has the objective to promote entrepreneurship and business innovation by supporting the creation and modernization of companies, thus contributing to the development and competitiveness of the Minho region.

It is a non profit-organization, formed by public and private promoters among who we may find institutions and firms that aim to develop the Minho region by creating innovative companies and by consolidating the existing SMEs.

The experience acquired by the Office of Innovation allows it to position it as a knowledge and competence centre in a business management level; with this position they also imply a catalyst element between companies and entrepreneurs who are in basic areas of actuation.

The activity of the Office of Innovation is basically developed in two levels: on the one hand they promote training in companies with innovative character, by supporting entrepreneurs in the process of creating an enterprise; on the other hand, they support projects involved in business modernization, destined mainly to small and medium sized enterprises.

Associação das Indústrias Marítimas ‐ AIM (Association of Maritime Industries - PORTUGAL)
The Association of Maritime Industries (AIM) is the successor of some other two organizations created for the defence of the interests of shipyards dedicated to building and repairing naval structures in Portugal. Their domain is national.

It is a non profit employers association created under the order-law number 215-C/75 and other applicable regulations.

They have shipyards, classifier societies, maritime operators and suppliers among the partners and they are located all along the Atlantic coast of Portugal.

Shipbuilders and Shiprepairers Association ‐ SSA (UNITED KINGDOM)
The Shipbuilders and Shiprepairers Association – SSA represents their partners before the national government in the UK, the EU, before regional development agencies and those organizations in charge of the development and application of the international rules and regulations applying the sector.

The SSA keeps in touch with the departments and agencies of the British Government, and among them, the Department of Business Enterprise Regulation & Reform (BERR), Marine Industries Leadership Council (MILC), Community of European Shipyard Associations (CESA), Department Innovation University & Skills (DIUS), Technology Strategy Board (TSB), Defence Equipment and Support [DE&S], the Health & Safety Executive [HSE], SEMTA, Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [DEFRA], UK Trade & Investment and Regional Development Agencies (RDA's) across the UK.
Through our representative in CESA, members have access to business interest groups, technical, defence and R&D networks across Europe. Further to this SSA plays an active role in the Research & Development Group, securing EU research funding via Framework Programme 7 (FP7), the Ship Maintenance, Repair and Conversion Group and in helping to shape European shipyard policy through initiatives like LeaderSHIP 2015.

Universities of Glasgow & Strathclyde (UNITED KINGDOM)
The Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering was established in 2001 through a merge between the Department of Ship and Marine Technology at the University of Strathclyde and the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at the University of Glasgow.

This merger brought considerable benefits enabling complementary knowledge and expertise to be shared leading to the creation of a centre recognized nationally and internationally for its excellence in teaching and research.

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering is a highly active research department, with world-leading expertise in a number of research areas. Our main research interests lie in:
•    Ship Stability and Safety
•    Marine Hydrodynamics
•    Marine Structures
•    Ocean Engineering
•    Marine Engineering
•    Emerging Technologies
•    Marine Renewable Energy and Alternative fuels