Meeting at UNAM advances transatlantic ocean and climate collaboration

The AIR Centre and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) convene for a two-day meeting to advance collaboration between European and Latin American institutions on ocean, space, and climate research.

This meeting brings together senior leadership from the AIR Centre, including Miguel Miranda (Executive Director), Mafalda Carapuço (Deputy Executive Director), Mariana Ávila (AIR Centre Coordinator at New Space Portugal), and Ana Faria (researcher), alongside prominent Mexican scientists and institutional leaders.

Key participants from UNAM include Salvador Landeros Ayala (Full Professor), Ligia Pérez Cruz (Coordinator of Oceanographic Platforms), José Antonio Hernández Espriú (Director of the School of Engineering), Píndaro Díaz Jaimes (Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology), and Michel Grutter de la Mora (Director of the Institute of Atmospheric and Climate Change Sciences). The meeting will also be attended by Manuel Carvalho, Portuguese Ambassador to Mexico, highlighting the diplomatic significance of this scientific collaboration.

The agenda features strategic presentations addressing how the AIR Centre can expand its role in the Caribbean Region and Gulf of Mexico, examining the potential of small satellite constellations to deliver meaningful services across the Atlantic basin. Participants will also explore Mexico's ocean, space and climate activities, and discuss the Sargassum challenge in the Caribbean.

The program includes guided visits to UNAM's School of Engineering, ICAyCC, and ICML facilities, providing AIR Centre representatives with firsthand insights into Mexico's advanced research infrastructure and ongoing projects.

This gathering marks an important milestone in building a collaborative research network spanning the Atlantic Ocean, to shape future partnerships between both institutions, and advance solutions to shared oceanic, atmospheric, and climate challenges across the Atlantic basin.