Iliad takes center stage at OCEANS 2025, advancing the future of marine digital twins
July 1st, 2025
Over four intensive days OCEANS 2025 conference in Brest, France, the EU-funded funded Iliad Project presented its cutting-edge work on federated and interoperable Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTOs) to center stage.
OCEANS 2025 held from 16–19 June, the global gathering brought together ocean experts, researchers, and policymakers served as the perfect platform for Iliad to showcase its technological achievements, policy alignment, and commitment to sustainable ocean governance.
The week began with a high-impact workshop co-hosted by Iliad and the Blue-Cloud 2026 project, titled "Services and Solutions for Thematic and Local Digital Twins of the Ocean." With keynote remarks by Zoi Konstantinou from the European Commission's DG MARE, the session directly linked DTO innovation to the newly launched European Ocean Pact.
Technical demonstrations followed, highlighting Iliad’s contributions to interoperability across sectors and geographies. These included a Digital Atlas of Fisheries for Ghanaian Fishermen, decision-support tools for marine spatial planning, and an immersive oil-spill visualization module. Notably, Peter Teye Busumprah (OceanLoveNews) and Anthonin Lizé (ORE Data Services) demonstrated real-world applications of Iliad’s data-driven services, from West Africa to the Irish coastline.
In parallel, partner projects such as EcoTwin, SEADOTs, and BioDT presented socioeconomic, biodiversity, and AI-enabled applications, underscoring the growing ecosystem of interoperable tools supporting Europe’s digital ocean strategy.
The day concluded with a high-level policy panel moderated by Iliad’s Garabet Kazanjian. Panelists from the EC, FAO, and IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society emphasized the need for inclusive digital infrastructure, high-quality data, and public-private collaboration to ensure that ocean digitalization benefits local communities, fosters innovation, and aligns with environmental priorities.
Active involvement
Iliad’s influence extended into the main OCEANS 2025 conference program through a series of technical presentations, session chairing roles, and keynote speeches. During the opening plenary, Bente Lilja Bye (BLB) delivered an inspiring keynote on bridging science and societal transformation.
Across the second and third days, Iliad partners chaired six thematic sessions and presented topics including:
Interoperability and Architecture Standards: Best practices for achieving semantic integration and ensuring FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data.
Operational Pilots: Case studies spanning oil spill response in the Thracian Sea, marine biodiversity monitoring, and fisheries support tools.
Emerging Services: Demonstrations of AI-based microplastic sensors, immersive DTO visualizations, and virtual research environments.
Capacity Building and Policy Impact: Presentations on stakeholder training, co-design platforms like The Iliad Academy, and tools supporting regulatory decision-making.
Together, these contributions not only shared Iliad’s state-of-the-art advancements but also helped position the project at the forefront of Europe’s digital ocean transformation. All qualifying abstracts and papers will be available in the upcoming OCEANS 2025 proceedings.
Showcasing Innovation
Throughout the conference, Iliad and Blue-Cloud teams maintained a vibrant joint exhibition booth, offering live demonstrations, interactive consultations, and multimedia presentations of the broader Iliad ecosystem. Attendees engaged with platforms like the Iliad Marketplace and Blue Tech Transfer, gaining insight into how Iliad bridges research, industry, and education.
On 19 June, the consortium has also held its final general assembly, reviewing progress against key milestones and charting a roadmap for long-term impact. Strategic discussions emphasized sustainable exploitation and transition pathways for Iliad’s tools and services—ensuring alignment with EMODnet, Marine EOSC, and private-sector adopters.
