Cornwall Marine Network (CMN) has been awarded a contract by the Nautisme Espace Atlantique 2 (NEA2) project which aims to support the marine leisure sector across the Atlantic-facing regions of Europe. CMN will be working closely with CoaST (Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Project) who have been awarded the environmental strand of the project and the Cornwall Development Company (the economic arm of Cornwall Council).

The European Union funded programme focuses on fostering innovative businesses, developing watersport activities, improving environmental awareness across the sector and plans to boost nautical tourism throughout the 23 partner regions involved, including counties across the south west of the UK, Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal. The NEA2 programme consists of a number of exciting strands, including:

- Innovation: Identifying innovative companies; supporting them through exchange visits with other European businesses, marketing mentoring, and researching and building connections with innovation centres across the UK.

- Environment: CoaST will be supporting marine leisure businesses with learning how to reduce their impact on our unique environment and in the process improve profit and gain customers.

- Marketing: CMN will be developing watersport packages, in collaboration with Cornwall Development Company, that will be promoted across the partner regions, including PR campaigns, case studies, updating of image banks and web marketing.

The CMN contract will start in autumn 2009 and will last until 2011. More information about NEA2 programme can be read about at: NEA2 Website

*This activity is part of the NEA2 (Nautisme Espace Atlantique) project which aims for the sustainable development of the watersports industry in the European Atlantic Area. NEA2 is managed by Cornwall Development Company on behalf of Cornwall Council and is part financed by European Regional Development Funds from the Interreg IVb Transnational Cooperation Atlantic Area Fund, Cornwall Council and participating local organisations*