REGIONAL ACTIVITY CENTRE FOR SPECIALLY PROTECTED AREAS

Their core work

CAR/ASP is a Mediterranean intergovernmental body operating under the Barcelona Convention (UNEP/MAP), mandated to coordinate the network of Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI). Their core work involves monitoring marine biodiversity, supporting policy frameworks for marine protected areas, and connecting national governments across the Mediterranean basin with scientific data to guide conservation decisions. In EU projects, they contribute domain expertise on Mediterranean ecosystems, end-user representation from coastal and maritime governance bodies, and the institutional authority needed to turn research outputs into actual policy tools. They bridge the gap between ocean science and the governments and agencies that manage Mediterranean marine territories.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (2017–2021), CAR/ASP was embedded in the physical and ecological layer of Mediterranean monitoring — biodiversity data, observatory networks, and producing policy instruments for marine area managers. By their second project (2022–2025), the focus shifted sharply toward digital representation and visualization of ocean data: digital twins, interactive simulation, and immersive geovisualisation. This is a meaningful evolution from domain expert and policy anchor toward an institution comfortable with digital-first ocean governance frameworks.

CAR/ASP is moving from a pure conservation-policy role toward active participation in digital ocean infrastructure projects, making them an increasingly relevant partner for consortia combining marine governance with emerging data technologies.

How they like to work

CAR/ASP participates exclusively as a consortium partner — they have never led an H2020 project — which reflects their institutional mandate as a regional body rather than a research driver. Despite their small project footprint (2 projects), they have accumulated 74 unique consortium partners across 23 countries, suggesting they join large, multi-partner initiatives where their Mediterranean institutional authority and end-user networks are a valued but non-central contribution. Working with them likely means engaging a well-connected intergovernmental body that opens doors to Mediterranean coastal governments, not a team that will drive technical work packages.

With 74 unique partners across 23 countries from just two projects, CAR/ASP participates in unusually large and geographically diverse consortia relative to their project volume. Their network skews toward the Mediterranean basin and European marine research institutions, consistent with their regional mandate under the Barcelona Convention.

What sets them apart

CAR/ASP is one of the very few non-European (Tunisia-based) intergovernmental bodies active in H2020 marine research, giving consortia a legitimate Southern Mediterranean anchor that is difficult to replicate with a university or NGO. Their status under the Barcelona Convention means they carry formal authority with coastal governments from Morocco to Turkey — a type of institutional access that purely scientific partners cannot provide. For any project needing policy uptake, stakeholder legitimacy, or real engagement with Mediterranean protected area managers, CAR/ASP is a structurally distinctive choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ODYSSEA
  Their largest funded project (EUR 305,000), this Mediterranean-wide observatory network placed CAR/ASP at the intersection of multi-country monitoring data and marine biodiversity policy, reflecting the core of their institutional mandate.
• ILIAD
  Marks a strategic pivot — CAR/ASP's first engagement with digital twin ocean technology and immersive data visualization, signaling willingness to extend beyond traditional conservation roles into digital maritime infrastructure.