At last week’s European Ocean Days, the MAELSTROM consortium was honored with the Blue Rivers & Lakes Award in the Innovation category. This distinguished award, which is MAELSTROM’s third international recognition, is conceived by the BlueMissionMed project in partnership with the European Commission to celebrate initiatives dedicated to the protection and restoration of small- to medium-sized water basins.

The award was presented at the “Towards a Water Resilience Strategy for the European Union” event and highlights our team’s impactful work in the Ave River in Vila do Conde, Portugal. Through the installation of a cutting-edge Bubble Barrier technology developed by our partner The Great Bubble Barrier with the support of the municipality of Vila do Conde, we are effectively capturing plasticpollution and preventing it from reaching the Atlantic Ocean.

During the European Ocean Days, our project coordinator, Fantina Madricardo, also shared MAELSTROM’s groundbreaking results at the EU Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters Forum 2025. MAELSTROM’s technologies have successfully collected over 4 tonnes of marinepollution and tested various processes for intelligent separation and recycling, leading to the development of six technologies that have reached TRL7.
Additionally, the project focused on the systematic engagement of citizens, youth, local authorities, and stakeholders at all levels to foster a paradigm shift in plastic consumption and disposal.