The TechOceanS EU-project, joined by PLOCAN, actively collaborate with scientists, manufacturers, stakeholders and resource managers leading efforts to improve the measurement of “Essential Ocean Variables” through the development of a new generation of ocean sensors integrated into both fixed and mobile autonomous ocean platforms, enabling the capture of key and previously inaccessible data on ocean biogeochemistry, biology and ecosystems.
The highly interdisciplinary project team ensures that the technologies to be developed will expand knowledge of the ocean’s interconnected systems and will provide tangible benefits to sector industries within the Blue Economy framework.
The headquarters of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) of Belgium in the city of Oostende hosted hosted the closing meeting of the European TechOceans project to conduct a final assessment on the achievements through the different work packages and activities of the project’s work plan, as well as the evaluation by the EU’s project officers and board of experts.
The EU’s Horizon 2020 program TechOceanS project brings together international ocean technology experts from Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom to develop a new generation of autonomous sensing, vision and in-situ sampling technologies aimed at improving understanding of the chemistry and biology of the oceans.
PLOCAN, partner and member of the Executive Board of the project, has contributed through its logistical and operational infrastructure (test bed, ocean observatory and fleet of autonomous marine vehicles) as a reference site where TechOceanS carried out throughout the first half of 2024 its integration, testing, validation and demonstration activities in real operational scenarios, both coastal and open-ocean.
Funded with a grant of 8.9 M€ from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program, TechOceanS – Technologies for Ocean Sensing – is a pioneer in the development of five new sensors, two vision systems, a novel sampler and a processing methodology of images driven by artificial intelligence, all capable of autonomously carrying out robust operations at depths greater than 2,000 meters. The project has also included its integration into a multidisciplinary fleet of autonomous marine vehicles and validation in real operational scenarios in the Canary Islands.
More information through @TechOceanS and the project website www.techoceans.eu
The TechOceanS project has received funding from the European Union’s H2020 Research and Innovation Program under Grant Agreement No. 101000858
