On February 27, 2025, Emmanuel Macron, French President, in his official visit to Portugal, held a meeting with Luís Montenegro, Portuguese Prime Minister, in Lisbon. This assembly enhanced their ambition to strengthen their partnership on the Ocean through the Declaration on the Ocean.

One highlight was the confirmation of the AIR Centre’s key role in the collaboration and interdisciplinary and bilateral research between both countries. The Declaration emphasized AIR Centre as an important platform for facilitating joint research efforts between Portugal and France, fostering cooperation, driving the development of new technologies and enhancing the integration of Earth Observation Systems, including data management. It also recognized the importance of the AIR Centre as an important promoter of collaboration between the two countries through the research of the interactions between ocean and climate, knowledge-sharing and innovative technology.

The two maritime countries are committed to achieve objectives regarding to the preservation and restoration of the ocean and ecosystems to combat climate change within the international community. Particularly, in the Atlantic Region, both countries aim to foster cooperation in research and marine resilience, while also promoting the blue economy, including the development of floating wind energy. In the scientific field, Portugal and France are working to transform the Mercator Ocean International into an intergovernmental organization, enhancing scientific collaboration, and strengthening of the cooperation with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO).

The Franco-Portuguese Declaration underscored the pivotal role of the AIR Centre in promoting the collaboration between Portugal and France. It recognized the AIR Centre as a driver of cooperation in the areas of ocean-climate interactions, and the development of new technologies.