Closure of the European Manifest Genius Project : A major Step Forward for Maritime Safety

The final meeting of the MANIFESTS Genius project took place in Brussels, bringing together experts, partners, and stakeholders from across Europe. 🌍 It was a key moment to review two years of intensive collaboration and to discuss operational risks at sea and in ports, human health considerations, as well as the impacts of the HNS Convention on maritime and port authorities.
🙏 Special thanks to Gillian Grant (International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds), Jasper Cornelis (Port of Antwerp-Bruges), and Pablo PEDROSA (DGMM) for your outstanding presentations. Additional thanks to Asta Mackeviciute for the insightful visit to the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC).

Our objectives:
✅ Assess risks related to volatile and gaseous HNS, including some upcoming alternative propulsion fuels in the maritime sector
✅ Identify emergency response solutions to better protect ecosystems and communities

Flagship deliverable presented to DG-ECHO: Innovative decision-support tools, including:
• Risk prediction models (explosions, underwater discharge, fate of HNS in accidental surface or subsurface spills)
• A comprehensive HNS database and a decision tree to guide choices between sheltering and evacuation
• A module to help share information among all stakeholders involved in the response (COPTool)

Why it matters: This work strengthens preparedness and response to chemical spill incidents, with a major goal: limiting the formation of toxic gas clouds and their impacts.

🙏 A huge thank you to all partners and participants for your unwavering commitment! As project leader, Cedre is proud of this collective effort and the tangible results achieved.

📌 All results will soon be available on the project website: https://lnkd.in/ewH3QYkH