On June 13, upon invitation by the European Commission, Venice Lagoon Plastic Free was at the Palais des Académies in Brussels for an international event: the official launch of the EU Digital Twin Ocean platform (EDITO-Infra). This project, realized by the European Commission with an investment of 10 million euros, aims to revolutionize the management of ocean resources and promote the sustainable development of blue economies.
The event was held under the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council and was co-organized with Mercator Ocean International and the Flanders Marine Institute. The forum highlighted the importance of the new Digital Ocean Twin (EDITO-Infra) for Europe, the Green Deal, and the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Main Themes of the Agenda
The day began with an introduction to the Digital Ocean Forum 2024, emphasizing the transformative potential of the European Digital Twin Ocean. High-level interventions from key figures such as Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth, and Pascal Lamy, Chair of the Board of the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters, set the stage for a discussion on the importance of this digital innovation in enhancing ocean knowledge and promoting sustainable actions.
Following, the unveiling of the European Digital Twin Ocean prototype by Kestutis Sadauskas, Deputy Director-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, showcased the platform’s advanced capabilities. Demonstrations included applications for safeguarding marine environments from plastic pollution, nature-based solutions, and conserving marine biodiversity. These presentations illustrated the Digital Twin Ocean capabilities for ocean management and research.
In the afternoon sessions, the focus shifted to building a collaborative and interoperable ecosystem of digital twins. Discussions highlighted the importance of integrating various digital twin initiatives to support the EU Green Deal, Mission Ocean, and the UN Agenda 2030.
The day concluded with forward-looking discussions on the future of the European Digital Twin Ocean. This session underscored the importance of engaging diverse perspectives in shaping the future of ocean management, leveraging the power of digital twin technologies to create a more sustainable and inclusive approach to managing ocean resources.
VLPF’s participation in this event underscores the commitment to leveraging innovative digital solutions for ML monitoring and clean up developed under the mission Ocean HEUROPE Project REMEDIES and SeaClear 2.0.
On the occasion, VLPF joined the ECSA (European Citizen Science Association) ECSA supports its members by coordinating citizen science projects, performing research on citizen science, and exchanging experiences and capacity-building