About the Ocean Geopolitics Centre
The Ocean Geopolitics Centre (CGO) is an international multidisciplinary institution under the direction of the SOAMAR Brasil in Portugal – Europe and Lusophone countries devoted to the study, promotion, and dissemination of strategic knowledge concerning the oceans and their growing role in global affairs. Established as a platform for education, research, international cooperation, and civic engagement, the Centre responds to the profound transformations reshaping the maritime world in the twenty-first century. The oceans are no longer viewed solely as spaces of navigation and trade; they have become strategic corridors of global logistics, digital infrastructure, energy transition, scientific innovation, environmental sustainability, and geopolitical competition.
The Centre was created to serve as a permanent platform connecting municipalities, universities, maritime institutions, research centres, youth organizations, schools, cultural institutions, private-sector partners, and international stakeholders. Its purpose is to promote a deeper understanding of the geopolitical, economic, technological, environmental, and security challenges that affect the oceans and maritime regions. Through this collaborative approach, the Centre seeks to foster a strategic maritime culture based on knowledge, innovation, sustainability, international dialogue, civic responsibility, and cooperation among nations and communities.
At the heart of the Centre’s mission is the promotion of strategic education and research. The institution develops and disseminates multidisciplinary knowledge in areas such as ocean geopolitics, maritime strategy, maritime security, logistics and ports, digital infrastructures, submarine cables, blue economy, energy transition, sustainability, technological innovation, artificial intelligence, and international cooperation. Through research projects, publications, policy studies, conferences, and strategic analyses, the Centre contributes to informed decision-making and public understanding of maritime issues.
Education and youth formation constitute another fundamental pillar of the Centre’s activities. On the on line school special programs are designed for students and young people between the ages of sixteen and twenty-three, encouraging strategic thinking, geopolitical literacy, maritime awareness, leadership development, environmental responsibility, technological understanding, and international engagement. These initiatives include academies, workshops, summer schools, simulation exercises, international youth forums, maritime awareness programs, and partnerships with universities and educational institutions. The objective is to prepare a new generation of leaders capable of understanding the opportunities and challenges associated with an increasingly interconnected maritime world.
The Centre also promotes civic education and public awareness by organizing conferences, seminars, lectures, forums, and cultural initiatives accessible to citizens, professionals, associations, local communities, businesses, and maritime stakeholders. By democratizing access to strategic knowledge, the institution seeks to strengthen civic culture, informed citizenship, community participation, and awareness of the role that oceans play in economic development, environmental sustainability, technological progress, and international security.
International cooperation is a defining characteristic of the Ocean Geopolitics Centre. The institution actively promotes partnerships among Portugal, Brazil, Lusophone countries, Atlantic municipalities, universities, maritime organizations, and international institutions. Through memoranda of understanding, research collaborations, educational exchanges, conferences, and strategic networks, the Centre facilitates dialogue and cooperation across borders, contributing to stronger ties between maritime communities and fostering a shared vision for sustainable development and international understanding.
The Centre is structured around five strategic pillars: Education and Formation; Research and Strategic Studies; International Cooperation; Conferences and Public Events; and Territorial and Civic Development. To support its mission, the Centre is guided by an institutional structure that includes an Honorary Council, a Strategic Advisory Board, an Academic and Scientific Council, a Municipal and Territorial Cooperation Division, a Youth and Civic Formation Division, an International Relations and Lusophone Cooperation Division, and a Conferences and Public Events Division. Together, these bodies ensure strategic direction, scientific quality, educational excellence, international outreach, and effective engagement with communities and stakeholders.