Faced with the disaffection of the young for the traditional marine sector trades and professions in the Atlantic Area and with the reduction of economic growth and competitivity in the coastal areas, the application of new technologies (nanotechnologies, information technologies, ocean biotechnologies, etc.) present real opportunities for replacement and dynamisation both of the industries involved and of the SMEs in the marine sector. The TRIDENT project is intended to accelerate this process by creating direct links between the traditional marine SMEs and the centres of Research and Development of the Atlantic Area, while extending and mobilising the existing work of scientific and technological marine research by setting up an active network and by regional and trans-national partnerships, as well as by encouraging a greater opening of access to the knowledge already available.