The Digital Ocean Forum (DOF) 2024 marked a pivotal moment with the launch of the first European Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO) pre-operational platform. This event, held on June 13 in Brussels under the auspices of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, was co-organised by the European Commission’s Directorates-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), and Defence, Industry and Space (DG DEFIS), in collaboration with Mercator Ocean International (MOi) and the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ).

The DOF 2024 brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including European Commission stakeholders, national policymakers, scientists , to witness the unveiling of the EU DTO, a groundbreaking virtual representation of the Ocean. The platform integrates marine observations, artificial intelligence, advanced Ocean modelling, and high-performance computing (HPC), providing unprecedented capabilities for marine data exploration and science-driven decision-making.

The launch of the EU DTO fulfils a key commitment made by European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen at the One Ocean Summit in Brest in February 2022. As a flagship initiative of the EC’s Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters, the EU DTO aligns with the EU Green Deal and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, demonstrating Europe’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology for Ocean conservation.

Live demonstration at the Digital Ocean Forum

Held at the Academy of Sciences in Brussels, the DOF 2024 showcased the EU DTO in a live demonstration attended by a large Ocean stakeholders’ community, including future DTO users, all gathered around a visually striking stand designed by MOi. Among the participants, there were also Pascal Lamy, president of the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters, Johan Hanssens, Secretary-General for the Flanders Department for Economy, Science and Innovation, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, French Ambassador for the Poles and the Oceans, as well as senior representatives of five EC Directorates-General: Commissioner Ivanova (DG RTD), Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General for Environment (DG ENV), Gustav Kalbe, Head of Unit for Administration & Finance, in the Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT), Kestutis Sadauskas, Deputy Director-General for DG MARE, John Bell, Director Heathy Planet (DG RTD), and Mauro Facchini, Head of Unit (DG DEFIS). Their presence underscored the importance of the EU DTO in supporting the European Commission’s broader environmental and technological goals.

Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth commented: “I am thrilled to announce that as from today, the European Digital Twin of the Ocean is accessible to everyone for testing, for using or for contributions. Thanks to the investment from the EU research and innovation programme Horizon Europe, it will help us understand how pollution and human activities affect the ocean and its critical role in regulating the climate and preserving biodiversity. It is still a prototype, but once it’s fully up and running, the platform will become a game-changer in ocean management, providing essential information and precise, real-time predictions.”

A powerful tool for science-driven decision-making

The platform’s capabilities in running simulations and “what-if” scenarios have been highlighted throughout the event, with the presentation of several use cases. The EU DTO allows users to visualise and predict the impacts of various oceanic conditions and human activities, providing valuable insights for policy-making and environmental management.

For example, it can help combat marine plastic pollution by monitoring and predicting the movement of plastic waste, thereby supporting informed decisions and actions to protect marine environments. It can explore nature-based solutions against coastal hazards, such as using seagrass to mitigate coastal risks. The platform can also aid in marine biodiversity conservation by shedding light on plankton and Ocean dynamics, which then used to monitor and predict sea turtles movements.

In the videos below, MOi’s oceanographer Simon Van Gennip showcased the platform capability in safeguarding marine environments and coastal communities from plastic pollution, while Hereon’s Kelly Johnson presents nature-based solutions against coastal hazards. These developments were carried out in the framework of EDITO ModelLab, a Horizon Europe project coordinated by MOi.:

The first demo of the pre-operational platform is presented online through its five main pillars: 1) Society’s expectations; 2) Cutting edge information at your fingertips; 3) Towards new products and services; 4) Support decision-making; 5) Unique network of experience. In a dedicated mini-site each pillar is explained and includes video interviews, and access to the visualization tools that make the EU DTO accessible to all.

Building the Core Infrastructure of the Digital Twin Ocean

MOi and VLIZ oversee the development of the core infrastructure of the EU DTO, in the framework of the Horizon Europe EDITO Infra project. This combines and integrates data and services from the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) – implemented by VLIZ – and the Copernicus Marine Service – implemented by MOi – into a single digital framework. The European Digital Twin of the Ocean also integrates itself in a larger framework, as it will be fully compatible with the Digital Twin of the Earth, developed in the framework of the Destination Earth (DestinE) initiative, led by EC DG CNECT (Communications Networks, Content and Technology).

MOi, transitioning into an intergovernmental organisation, plays a leading role in building the digital framework and virtual environment for the EU DTO. MOi’s broader future mission as an IGO will be to design, develop, and operate world-class Digital Ocean Systems and provide authoritative Digital Ocean Information Services to member states and international governance bodies.

A mosaic of contributions

The development of the EU DTO represents a collaborative effort involving various European partners. Kestutis Sadauskas, Deputy Director-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), stated that “the true value of embarking on the development of the EU Digital Twin Ocean is really the creation of this community that works together towards the common goal of describing and understanding the Ocean, its biodiversity, and most importantly, its interactions with us, with our societies, our economies, our way of life.“

Pierre Bahurel, Director General of MOi, explained that the EU DTO will be interconnected with various other platforms and digital twins at both national and international levels. This includes integration with other disciplines, such as Destination Earth, and collaboration with initiatives in other continents, such as the UN DITTO programme (Digital Twins of the Ocean – DITTO Decade programme). The collaboration is crucial: “Our EU DTO is a mosaic of contributions. The European Commission is making the DTO infrastructure possible, but it is thanks to the European community that it will become a living, impactful tool.”

Looking Ahead

The platform is set to gradually scale up throughout 2025, with opportunities for further beta testing by stakeholders in the coming months. The EU DTO promises to unify fragmented marine data, making it accessible and usable for specialists and ordinary citizens alike.

John Bell, Director Heathy Planet (DG RTD), encapsulated the transformative potential of the EU DTO in his concluding remarks:

What we are looking at here is a space and time machine. It is part of providing democracy and public decision-making with the means to rescue and transform itself.

The Digital Ocean Forum 2024 has set the stage for a new era in Ocean science and management, with the European Digital Twin Ocean at its forefront. This innovative platform will play a critical role in addressing the complex challenges facing the Ocean and building the science we need for the future we want.

Useful Links

• Learn more about the EU DTO
• Visit the DOF2024 dedicated website
• EU DTO Demo in a Nutshell
• Explore the EU DTO Core Infrastructure
• The Digital Ocean Forum 2024 Replays & PDF Presentations