Mercator Ocean and the European Commission’s department for international partnerships (DG INTPA) are launching the OPERA (Ocean Prediction Enhancement in Regions of Africa) project. Work is now underway on this ambitious initiative that will strengthen African Ocean prediction capabilities and foster cooperation at national, regional, and pan-African levels. OPERA aims to develop fit-for-purpose forecasting services, tools, applications, and services essential for the sustainable management of Ocean resources, disaster risk reduction, and the growth of sustainable blue economies.
Enrique Alvarez Fanjul, technical coordinator of OceanPrediction DCC at Mercator Ocean : “The OPERA project is an exciting European initiative, framed within the UN Ocean Decade, designed to collaborate with African institutions to enhance their capacities in monitoring and managing the ocean sustainably.“
OPERA: Strengthening science and building a community
Funded by the EU through DG INTPA, OPERA is the Ocean-focused component of the African Regional Centres of Excellence for the Green Transition (ArcX) programme. This overarching programme is dedicated to strengthening digital and science, technology, and innovation capacities in Sub-Saharan Africa, fostering scientific knowledge and innovation-driven sustainable development.
Mercator Ocean, through its coordinating role in the OceanPrediction Decade Collaborative Centre (OceanPrediction DCC), has been entrusted with implementing OPERA over the course of four years, from January 2025 to December 2028.
OPERA aligns with several key priorities outlined in both African and European strategic frameworks, such as the Ocean Decade Africa Roadmap and the EU Global Gateway Strategy.
The project will establish a coordinated and dynamic community of Ocean forecasting in Africa, linked to the global community for sharing information, capabilities, innovations, and opportunities. It will carry out capacity development and technology-sharing activities targeting a broad range of stakeholders in Africa to access, use, and tailor existing Ocean forecasting services and tools.
OPERA will establish three consortia of up to five African partners each to co-design, co-develop, and deliver fit-for-purpose and coordinated Ocean forecasting systems, services, and applications to meet African needs. One consortium will focus on developing regional and coastal Ocean forecasting systems, while the other two will focus on developing applications integrating Ocean forecasting.
Leveraging networks to bridge science and policy
OPERA will engage stakeholders, develop knowledge tools, and reach out to African policymakers to ensure the uptake and use of the project’s deliverables. The project will also create a roadmap to set the foundation and contribute to building the forecasting component of the Africa Ocean Knowledge Hub outlined in the Ocean Decade Africa Roadmap.
The project will also build on existing networks and work closely with regional bodies, such as the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States, the African Ocean Decade Taskforce, the OceanPrediction DCC’s African regional team, and UNEP’s African Sea Conventions to guide the project’s activities and ensure its uptake and sustainability.
What’s next ?
The first year of the project will be dedicated to laying the foundation, building the consortia through a series of competitive calls, and launching capacity development and technology assistance activities. A first in-person closed workshop is planned for April to start mapping Ocean forecasting activities in Africa and identify priorities and needs. In May 2025, a public information day will be held online to present the project to the community and the different calls to be launched.
OPERA has the potential to transform Ocean forecasting in Africa, and Mercator Ocean is looking forward to its successful implementation. The project will strengthen African-European cooperation and knowledge sharing towards impact-driven Ocean prediction. This experience of implementing a large-scale initiative on another continent will be essential as Mercator Ocean International evolves into an Intergovernmental Organisation (IGO).
An official OPERA kick-off event will take place on 10 June at the EU Digital Ocean Pavillion during the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3). Join us in Nice and discover more at the EU Digital Ocean Pavilion !