ISSS Partners

Profile

+ATLANTIC is a Portuguese not-for-profit R&D+I collaborative laboratory. Formed by an initiative of the Portuguese Government in 2018, +ATLANTIC brought together 13 associates comprising industry, academia, and R&D and became operational in 2019. Its activity focuses on the development of knowledge based added-value services related to various fields of marine sciences, climate change, land sea-interactions following an earth system approach, and integrating information from deep sea to space. Our mission is to generate knowledge and value to discover, preserve and sustainably harness the Atlantic Ocean. +ATLANTIC’s multidisciplinary team (50+) mostly uses numerical modelling (prediction and forecast), remote sensing (processing and modelling), geospatial data sciences (artificial intelligence, machine learning and statistical models) for such purposes.

Contribution

The +ATLANTIC contribution to the ISSS platform is linked to the construction of its Atlantic Hub, together with Tecnalia, Azti, and other ISSS members. +ATLANTIC also provides technical and scientific contributions to the ISSS network on a wide range of ocean and space technologies. By acting as the ISSS node in Portugal, +ATLANTIC is making the platform known throughout the whole Atlantic basin, boosting its results and impact in various Portuguese speaking countries.

Contact

Nuno Lourenço, CEO +ATLANTIC

More information on +ATLANTIC's website

Profile

AZTI is a scientific and technological centre that develops high-impact transformation projects with organisations aligned with the United Nations 2030 SDGs.  Its purpose is to drive positive change for the future of humankind, contributing to a healthy, sustainable and fair society. Specialising in marine environment and food, it provides cutting-edge and value-added products and technologies grounded in sound science and research.

With a 40-year-track-record, AZTI is present in 45 countries, has three headquarters in the Basque Country and a team of more than 280 employees. Its extensive performance history is backed by more than 1,300 indexed publications and its excellence is based on its research staff, 58% of whom hold PhDs.

Contribution

AZTI’s DNA lies in collaborative and transformative innovation, value generation and transfer of solutions within the three central application areas of ISSS:  Aquaculture, Ocean Cleaning, Renewable Energy. AZTI brings an integrated and multisectoral approach with high experience supporting key local and European stakeholders and policies of the marine sectors. Our main areas of expertise are Biotechnology-based products, Climate change, Marine ecosystems functioning, Operational oceanography services, Marine and coastal environmental management and Sustainable fisheries management. This European alliance will allow us to tackle more efficiently the challenging issues for a sustainable blue economy. 

Contact

Julien Mader, Head of Marine Technologies

More information on AZTI's website.

Profile

ENEA is the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, a public body aimed at research, technological innovation and the provision of advanced services to enterprises, public administration and citizens in the sectors of energy, the environment and sustainable economic development. In particular, its Department for Sustainability has specific expertise in circular economy, bioeconomy, agroindustry, sustainable tourism and cities, materials, processes and approaches for construction and sustainable industry, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, preservation and enhancement of the territory and cultural heritage, health protection. Priority issues at national and international level aim to foster a transition towards a low carbon society based on circular economy models able to promoting efficient use of resources and reducing the impacts of climate change.

Contribution

ENEA can share its ocean data management experience and provide tools dedicated to the monitoring of the marine environment and digital Twin of Regional Seas. Activities carried out in the field of energy from the sea can also represent a good input to ISSS. Furthermore, ENEA has developed two forecast operating systems for wave motion and marine circulation and has the knowledge and tools to provide sea truth data necessary to test and validate the developed models.

The recently established ENEA "Smart Bay S. Teresa” initiative provides an excellent asset that ENEA can offer to ISSS, as monitored test-site for the technologies developed within the platform.

Contact

Dr. Tiziana Ciuffardi, Dept. Sustainability of productive and territorial systems

More information on ENEA's website.

Profile

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, based in Germany, is the world’s leading applied research organization. Prioritizing key future-relevant technologies and commercializing its findings in business and industry, it plays a major role in the innovation process. A trailblazer and trendsetter in innovative developments and research excellence, it is helping shape our society and our future. Founded in 1949, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft currently operates 76 institutes and research units throughout Germany. Over 30,000 employees, predominantly scientists and engineers, work with an annual research budget of €2.9 billion. Fraunhofer generates €2.5 billion of this from contract research.

Contribution

Fraunhofer is creating a balance between economic use and marine protection. This benefits ISSS in fields such as environmental monitoring, energy generation, disposal of munitions and hazardous materials as well as the prevention and reduction of marine pollution. The broad scientific and disciplinary expertise of the Fraunhofer institutes enable us to respond to changing demands from society and industry. Extensive test equipment and appropriate test beds are integrated into the practice-oriented research and development infrastructures like the Fraunhofer Digital Ocean Lab underwater test field. The ISSS Head office in Rostock, Germany, is co-funded by the Ministry of Science, Culture, Federal and European Affairs of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (project reference AU20001).

Contact

Katrin Mögele, Interim contact person, Fraunhofer EU Office

More information on Fraunhofer's website.

Profile

IFREMER’s research is grounded in sustainable development and open science with key missions: Protect and restore the ocean, Sustainably use marine resources to benefit society, Create and share ocean knowledge.

With 1500 personnels, we are committed to advance knowledge about our planet’s last unexplored frontiers. They provide the science we need for informed decision-making and public policy and they transfer this knowledge and technology to businesses to fulfil public and private needs. Core to our mission is also to strengthen public awareness about the importance of understanding the ocean and its resources, and empowering future generations of leaders through education and outreach national campaigns.

IFREMER is managing the French Oceanographic Fleet and its scientists create ground-breaking technology to push the boundaries of ocean exploration and knowledge, from the abyss to the atmosphere-ocean interface.

Contribution

Within ISSS, Ifremer intend to promote research and innovation on five components of the maritime sector: naval industry, offshore, marine renewable energies, fisheries, aquaculture and sea products, and the nautical industry.

We would like to promote innovative solutions that respect the marine environment combining our knowledge of ecosystems and engineering skill. We are mostly concerned with performance of offshore structures, minimising their impact on marine ecosystems, in particular on projects concerning environment and coastal development, the impacts of the marine environment on these constructions and the emergence of new responsible blue economy sectors.

We do think that Europe is the scale at which the ocean economy as to be developed and we are keen to share our network and expertise with the ISSS community to promote a blue economy at that scale for the benefit of European people.

Contact

Jean-Marc Daniel, Director Institut Carnot MERS & Physical Resources & Sea floor ecosystem Department

More information on IFREMER's website.

Profile

RISE is Sweden’s research institute and innovation partner. Through our international collaboration programmes with industry, academia and the public sector, we ensure the competitiveness of the Swedish business community on an international level and contribute to a sustainable society. Our 2,800 employees engage in and support all types of innovation processes. RISE is an independent, State-owned research institute, which offers unique expertise and over 100 testbeds and demonstration environments for future-proof technologies, products and services. 

Contribution

Through advanced research, we support future solutions in subsea technology, energy extraction from waves and wind as well as aquatic food. A circular economy and an ocean in balance may also prove to be the source of tomorrow’s biotechnologies and biopharmaceuticals.  RISE offers expertise within shipping, renewable ocean energy, aquatic food, maritime informatics, marine biotechnology and project management in blue growth and maritime operations. 

Contact

Mikael Hägg, Head of Maritime Department

More information on RISE' website.

Profile

SINTEF Ocean conducts research and innovation related to ocean space for national and international industries. Our ambition is to continue Norway's leading position in maritime technology and biomarine research. Many of the challenges of modern society can be solved through sustainable use of the ocean. Transport, food and energy production represent the backbone of ocean-based industries, and are also core areas for SINTEF Ocean. In addition, we focus on environmental technology, with one of the world’s leading professional environments in marine environmental technology. Through cooperation in the SINTEF group, we are also able to integrate our own expertise with expert technological knowledge from other industry sectors.

Contribution

SINTEF Ocean believes that research mobility in Europe is an essential tool for strengthening strategic relations and cooperation. All SINTEF's activities are geared toward solving the UN Development goals. However, taking on these challenges cannot be reached by individual research institutes or country by country. We need to engage in international cooperation. For SINTEF Ocean, the ISSS network is a solid platform for working together with international research partners to achieve our vision of "technology for a better society".

SINTEF Ocean conducts research and innovation related to ocean space for national and international industries. This contributes to ISSS with activities such as new marine resources, offshore energy systems, offshore wind and maritime transport. Furthermore, SINTEF Ocean, together with the Norwegian Government, has launched a national knowledge centre for ocean space technology, the Ocean Space Center. The knowledge centre is part of a national knowledge and innovation infrastructure connected to the oceans. A key element in the Ocean Space Laboratories' vision is to secure a robust European footprint by building broad alliances with European research, education, and industry partner.

Contact

Bård Wathne Tveiten

More information on SINTEF Oceans's website.

Profile

TECNALIA is the largest center of applied research and technological development in Spain, a benchmark in Europe and a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance. We are the first private Spanish organisation in contracting, participation, and leadership in the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme and we are ranked third in European patent applications.

We collaborate with companies and institutions to improve their competitiveness, people’s quality of life and achieve sustainable growth. We work with a business relationship model based on trust, collaboration, and a shared technological approach, whereby our main scopes of action are: smart manufacturing, digital transformation, energy transition, sustainable mobility, personalised health, and the urban ecosystem.

Contribution

We realize a close cooperation with all ocean users to-unlock ocean knowledge, provide intelligent technologies, new materials and ocean data to tackle the ocean decade challenges, boost a sustainable blue economy, and generate higher prosperity in Europe. Our solutions for an efficient energy transition involve innovations to harness renewable energy and other resources from the ocean in a sustainable manner.

Contact

Jose Luis Villate, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Circularity Director

More information on Tecnalia's website.

Profile

TNO connects people and knowledge to create innovations that boost the competitive strength of industry and the well-being of society in a sustainable way. This is our mission and it is what drives us, the over 3,400 professionals at TNO, in our work every day. We work in collaboration with partners and focus on nine domains: Buildings, Infrastructure & Maritime; The Circular Economy & the Environment; Defense, Safety & Security; Energy; Healthy living; Industry; Information & Communication Technology; Strategic Analysis & Policy; Traffic & Transport. Innovation with purpose is what TNO stands for.

Contribution

TNO’s Defense, Safety & Security Unit is home to the technology roadmap for Information & Sensor Systems, which maintains the technology portfolio of Ocean Resilience & Transparency. This portfolio is keenly focused on advancing key enabling technologies and methodologies in order to realize real-time and predictive cyber-physical interfaces of the ocean environment. As a member of ISSS, TNO seeks to establish partnerships which will advance our capacity to bring forward enabling disruptive technologies at sea, such as Extended Reality (XR), Autonomy, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Robotics, Predictive Digital Twins, Sensor Fusion, Next-G Connectivity and Human-Machine Teaming.

Contact

Eric Engelbrecht, Senior Business Developer -Information & Sensor Systems

More information on TNO's website.

Profile

VTT is a visionary research, development and innovation partner for companies and the society. We bring together people, business, science and technology to solve the biggest challenges of our time. This is how we create sustainable growth, jobs and wellbeing and bring exponential hope.  VTT is one of the leading research organizations in Europe, and we have nearly 80 years of experience in cutting-edge research and science-based results. Our more than 2,000 professionals work to develop systemic and technological solutions that can bring about fundamental transformation. We promise to always think beyond the obvious. 

Contribution

VTT is a visionary research, development, and innovation partner, that finds solutions to global challenges through science and technology. VTT will collaborate with the ISSS partners for the challenges in aquaculture, environmental monitoring, material performance, sea cleaning, and energy and raw materials harvesting. VTT will utilise its diverse expertise for the ISSS Innovation Platform. VTT contribution involves multifaceted technical options e.g. robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, environmental monitoring with drones, sensor technologies for in-situ monitoring, marine microbiology, and solutions for materials challenges from surface to deep sea.

Contact

Jukka Sassi, Senior Scientist

More information on VTT's website.