SIDIS: Disruptive systems for an expanded network of innovative services in ICTS-MARHIS

The present proposal – SiDis: Disruptive Systems for the Use and Access of ICTS MARHIS – aims to implement an integrated management and coordination system for the distributed ICTS MARHIS (https://www.ictsmarhis.com/en), which will enable more efficient scientific use and a more ambitious, integrated, and optimized transfer capacity of the participating infrastructures. MARHIS, as a distributed ICTS of unique research infrastructures in the field of hydraulic engineering in Spain, seeks to increase the efficiency and capacity (e.g., reducing access times or increasing the number of users) of the experimental facilities for applications in coastal, port, offshore energy engineering, and the multiple interactions between structures and marine climatic factors.

In this context, it proposes to develop disruptive methodologies such as:

• Implementing Digital Twin models in the ICTS MARHIS facilities to optimize costs and testing/simulation times
• Developing “Low-Cost” (LC) and “Do It Yourself” (DIY) technology devices that allow massive data acquisition in the experimental phase with lower costs and greater involvement of relevant stakeholders
• implementing “friendly access” programs that improve the efficient use of the facilities and reduce bureaucracy for the ICTS MARHIS user researchers and facility managers

This innovative approach will provide a real-time digital representation (i.e., Digital Twins) of the physical systems, anticipating scalability problems between the facilities and experiments. The impacts of the SiDis project will not only improve the efficiency and precision of research but also democratize access to advanced tools, foster collaboration, and reduce bureaucratic barriers, thus contributing to scientific and technological advancement in various key disciplines for the Spanish state.

These impacts will range from technological innovation with the implementation of Digital-Twin Models in the ICTS MARHIS Facilities, impact on Accessibility and Democratization of Science with the development of “Low-Cost” (LC) and “Do It Yourself” (DIY) technology devices for massive data acquisition, and finally, the impact on research efficiency and productivity by reducing bureaucratic barriers and fostering a collaborative environment with specific actions.

In summary, the scientific-technical activities proposed in the SiDis project are aimed at demonstrating their added value by achieving common and shared objectives and carrying out activities that could not be funded through other instruments, always maintaining a holistic vision of the set of scientific infrastructures in the marine field at the national level.