A man holding his prize and a woman holding a microphone.

Caught on camera: Interreg North Sea shots awarded

01/07/2025

3 minutes

The winners are out! We proudly present three outstanding photos radiating the strength of transnational cooperation.

The three winners of our third North Sea Photo Contest were revealed at the North Sea Conference plenary session taking place on 25 June.

We were thrilled at the level of participation this time. As many as 17 projects submitted a total of 135 photos showcasing special moments and the multifarious topics that our projects address. Also, the conference theme of resilience shone through many entries.

We are proud to present the fantastic winning photos below.

A large group of people standing outdoors, raising their hands.

TREASURE

Winnner in Category 1 - Engaging people

TREASURE fights plastic outflow into the North Sea by preventing, identifying and removing macroplastic on its way to the sea. As part of this, they enlist the power of people.

The image (from Lemvig, Denmark) shows people gathered to throw wooden bricks into waterways. The bricks include a QR code that people who discover the bricks can use to report where they found them. This way, the scientists can track the flow of macroplastic on its way into the North Sea.

This image shows a project engaging a wide variety of people, from young to old. A lot of energy in the picture.
Jury member voting for the picture

A man is holding a red bucket amid a strange, sinister place.

Clancy

Winner in Category 2: North Sea Places

Clancy equips authorities to take on one of the most invasive species on Earth, the Chinese Mitten Crab that harms native wildlife in our waterways. Clancy is developing an innovative trap to keep its numbers down.

The image shows a little known place in the North Sea Region - a fish ladder next to the Weser weir, built to help fish migrate. Since the crabs are using the ladder too, this is a good place to catch them.

Very cool picture. I like the light contrast, which naturally places a spotlight on the man in the photo. Also a nice angle of the shot. Altogether the photo gives a bit of a mysterious vibe, this could also be a shot from a thriller scene. It makes me want to know more about the scene and the setting.
Jury member voting for this picture

Two ladies wearing VR glasses with antennae

DISCO

Winner in Category 3 - Beauty, Fun & Creativity

DISCO recognises the key role of human decisions in scaling up climate resilience. The project enables better policy- and decision-making for timely and effective climate adaptation. They build the capacity of responsible authorities to use digital tools, such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Digital Twins, to visualise and convey various scenarios.

The winning photo aptly captures the project's core mission in a cheerful way.

The picture radiates fun through the laughing faces hidden behind the VR glasses. The antennas and the pink colour give it a funny extraterrestrial feeling.
Jury member voting for this picture

Images boost the impact

Great project photos bring the strength of transnational cooperation closer to us, in a way that nothing else does. A great authentic image is a Swiss Army knife of Interreg project communication - a strong and flexible tool that opens our hearts and minds to the project's idea. We are really happy to see so many great snapshots from our projects!

A huge thank you to the jury: Our six National Contact Points for Flanders, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands, plus Executive Advisor Henrik Jensen from our host organisation Central Denmark Region.

And a heartfelt thanks to all projects contributing to this contest! Your vivid images speak volumes about the width and breadth of the work being done. These images bring us the vibe of our projects and show that cooperation is at the crux of resilience.

See more entries

CATEGORY 1: ENGAGING PEOPLE

2025 Photo Contest Slideshow - Category 1

CATEGORY 2: NORTH SEA PLACES

CATEGORY 3: BEAUTY, FUN & CREATIVITY