AAU BLUE gathers researchers and industry for annual meeting
News
Published online: 28.05.2026
AAU BLUE held its second annual meeting at Aalborg University on 4 May 2026. The purpose of the network is to strengthen the interdisciplinary collaboration within marine and maritime research internally at AAU and to make knowledge more easily accessible to companies and organisations outside the university.
By Søren Mølgaard AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Photos: Søren Mølgaard
Marine research spans a wide range of areas, from coastal protection, shipping, maritime history and marine ecology to blue governance, offshore wind and maritime technology.
Historically, marine research environments have worked across departments and academic units with limited contact with one another, as well as with the companies and authorities dealing with the same blue issues on a daily basis. AAU BLUE aims to address this.
On 4 May 2026, the network held its second annual meeting at Aalborg University. The event included a sing-along of " Blæsten går friskt over Limfjordens vande” a dinner at the Faculty Club and a trip to AAU's wave basin – all combined with a healthy dose of professional exchange.
The morning was reserved for the network's own researchers, who pitched ideas for new interdisciplinary projects, while the afternoon opened the doors to regional stakeholders working within the North Jutland marine environment.
Troels Jacob Hegland, associate professor at the Department of Sustainability and Planning and one of AAU BLUE's coordinators, explains the core purpose of the network:
"We are quite dispersed, those of us who work with the sea. There are a few relatively large groups, but there are also a lot of people who sit in different departments and groups. That's why it's rewarding to meet in a collegial environment where we all think the sea is cool."
For external guests, the meeting provided an opportunity to explore research and strengthen connections across industry, public organisations and academia.
Frederik Skaanning Høyer, Project Coordinator from the Danish Geodata Agency, who works with official nautical charts in Danish and Greenlandic waters on a daily basis, put into words what he hopes to take home:
"We have a lot of in-depth data, and we are always interested in hearing about new technologies for data collection and ways of putting our data into use
Esben Sverdrup-Jensen, Director of the Danish Pelagic Producers' Organisation highlighted two research fields he had not expected to encounter:
"Underwater robotics, i.e. everything that goes on below the surface, where you can film and observe, is very interesting to us. And then there is the whole issue of ocean governance and the rules of the law of the sea, which is particularly relevant in these times."
His recommendation to others in the blue sector was clear: the larger the network becomes, the more value it creates for everyone involved
AAU BLUE currently counts around 80 members. The network is for AAU researchers and is free to join. According to Troels Jacob Hegland, anyone working with blue-related topics will find like-minded colleagues in the network:
“Not everyone understands that the sea is cool, but everyone her does. And that’s why it just makes great sense for people to be a part of.”
Next year, the annual event will expand further as AAU BLUE co-organises the Maritime Research Festival – a conference bringing together maritime research from universities across the country. With Aalborg hosting in 2027, the stage is set for an even larger meeting point between the sea, research and the region
The Maritime Research Festival takes place on 15-16 April 2027.
About AAU BLUE
AAU BLUE is Aalborg University's network for researchers with an interest in marine and maritime issues. The network covers a wide field: coastal protection, coastal engineering, fisheries, marine ecology, coastal communities, offshore wind and other marine renewable energy, law of the sea, shipping, maritime technology, maritime history, underwater technology, port development and much more.
The aim is to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration across AAU's faculties and campuses and to make the university's maritime research accessible and relevant to companies and organisations beyond the university. The network has been established with support from Orient's Foundation.
Participants at the annual meeting included North Sea Science Park, Green Hub Denmark, the Limfjord Council, the Danish Geodata Agency, DTU Aqua, the Danish Pelagic Producers’ Organisation, UCN Act2Learn Business, Aalborg Maritime & Logistics and Northern Denmark’s EU Office.
Membership is free and without obligation Find AAU BLUE on LinkedIn or contact the network via aaublue.aau.dk.
Translated by Rikke Bajlum Nielsen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs