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EMODnet is delighted to share further highlights from its recent Open Conference (OC) 2025, held on 25–26 November 2025 in Brussels, Belgium, including plenary recordings, presentations, photos and more. The OC brought together more than 450 participants from 33 countries on-site and online. As the European Union’s in situ marine data service, EMODnet showcased its essential role in delivering actionable marine data and knowledge for the European Ocean Pact the EU Ocean Observation Initiative and the European Digital Twin Ocean. The event also launched the EMODnet Vision 2035, a community roadmap for EMODnet’s service evolution over the next decade.

The European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) community is proud to announce the publication of its VISION 2035, a common roadmap for EMODnet’s service evolution over the next decade. This includes a Summary for policy makers with the full VISION including extended recommendations for EMODnet’s service evolution to 2035.

More than 300 stakeholders gathered in Brussels for the EMODnet Open Conference on 25-26 November 2025 which showcased EMODnet’s role as an essential marine data service of the European Ocean Pact. This fourth edition attended by partners, Associated Partners including the private sector, the European Commission DG MARE, RTD, ENV, DEFIS, INTPA, JRC and more, launched the EMODnet community Vision 2035 with an ambitious – yet pragmatic and necessary - roadmap for strengthened investment into EMODnet’s service evolution over the next decade, to meet the emerging and expanding marine data needs of the Ocean Pact, the EU Ocean Observation Initiative and EMODnet as the in situ component of the European Digital Twin Ocean. The event kicked off a Marine Knowledge week, highlighting EMODnet as a cornerstone of EU marine knowledge. Stay tuned for full Highlights! Read more: EMODnet Open Conference 2025 and Vision 2035.

The European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) community is proud to announce the publication of its VISION 2035, a common roadmap for EMODnet’s service evolution over the next decade.

The EMODnet Vision 2035 is a necessary document at a time when the urgency and societal demand for marine knowledge to meet societal challenges has never been higher. It is the EMOD-network’s response to the European Ocean Pact, providing tangible recommendations for how EMODnet as the European Union’s in situ marine data service can – and must – scale and expand, to realise its full potential as a cornerstone of European marine knowledge, serving the Ocean Pact and the EU Ocean Observation Initiative, delivering the in situ component of the European Digital Twin Ocean, boosting competitiveness in the Blue Economy, and as a world-class regional data service seamlessly connected to the global ocean digital ecosystem. The Vision showcases EMODnet, from its people to its digital services, and from its service offer to its value creation for policy, research and innovation, the Blue Economy and beyond. Concrete recommendations are presented across four-dimensions of the EMODnet value chain. In the Vision 2035 roadmap the community calls for at least a doubling in EMODnet's funding across the next multi-annual financial framework (MFF) to make this Vision a reality. This includes an expansion of the EMODnet partnership to all relevant in situ ocean observation and marine data actors, to maximise EMODnet’s potential to serve the EU Ocean Observation Initiative, the European Digital Twin Ocean, the wider Ocean Pact and the global ocean digital ecosystem.

Join us online on 13 November 2025 (15:00–16:30 CET) for the official launch of the EMODnet Vision 2035 — a forward-looking strategy outlining the next decade of Europe’s marine data services. Discover EMODnet’s core assets and strategic pillars, explore how its services are driving progress in policy, science, the Blue Economy, and society, and hear directly from members of the EMODnet Vision Drafting Group, representing partners and stakeholders across the marine data value chain. Register today and join the discussion.

The stage is set for the EMODnet Open Conference 2025, taking place on 25–26 November in Brussels with the launch of the full programme online. The event titled “EMODnet: an essential marine data service for the European Ocean Pact” will bring together EMODnet partners and wider marine data experts, policymakers, scientists, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and more to explore how EMODnet is a cornerstone of EU Marine Knowledge central to delivering the European Ocean Pact, and how EMODnet can further evolve to meet emerging EU policy, Blue Economy and wider user needs.

Register now for the EMODnet Open Conference 2025, taking place on 25–26 November 2025 in Brussels, Belgium that will showcase EMODnet as an essential marine data service for the European Ocean Pact, EU Ocean Observation Initiative, European Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO) and global digital ocean data ecosystem.

The Conference will also present the EMODnet community Vision 2035 and will include dialogues on EMODnet's future service evolution. The EMODnet Conference is held back-to-back with the Digital Ocean Forum 2025, as part of a European Marine Knowledge Week.

We kindly invite you to register to attend and share the invitation throughout your network.

We look forward to seeing you at OC2025!

Explore the new and improved Introduction to Sustainability in Marinas platform. This resource guides you through socially and environmentally responsible marina management. It showcases the collective expertise of specialists in the sustainable marina sector, including EMODnet's role in providing open data and stimulating sustainable decision making within the marine sector.

In 2024, EMODnet reinforced its status as a trusted European resource for marine data and knowledge. Following the successful launch of its upgraded portal in January 2023, EMODnet attracted over 120,000 annual visitors who benefited from streamlined access to extensive cross-thematic datasets. The newly published EMODnet 2024 Annual Report offers a detailed overview of the year's key achievements, user metrics, and essential facts and figures. It includes updates on thematic services, expanded geographic and temporal coverage, new parameters and data products, EMODnet's contributions to the European Digital Twin Ocean, broader EU and global partnerships, EMODnet's pivotal role in the European Atlas of the Seas communication tool, and much more. Read the full report.

EMODnet recently launched four new webpages, each dedicated to supporting sustainable ocean management, fostering innovation, and aiding evidence-based policymaking. Explore how EMODnet supports society, research and innovation, EU and global policy, and the blue economy, under the ‘Solutions’ tab of the EMODnet Portal. These new resources were published in time for European Maritime Day 2025 in Cork, Ireland.

Join EMODnet at the EMD 2025 in Cork, Ireland, from 21-23 May 2025 where EMODnet and EU DTO will be exhibiting, together with other key actors in the European marine and maritime landscape, engaging also in stakeholder workshops and plenary sessions, including continuing the Oceans and Fisheries dialogues that are shaping the European Ocean Pact. Apply now to secure your spot: https://maritime-forum.ec.europa.eu/theme/governance/european-maritime-day_en

On 25–27 March 2025, over 400 people joined the EMODnet Open Sea Lab 4.0 online, bringing together marine data users, data scientists, developers, and innovators from across Europe and beyond. Their mission: to co-create solutions to real-world ocean and coastal challenges using the EMODnet service and other open-source data. For this edition, participants were also given exclusive access to the full EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service data collections via the European Digital Twin Ocean cloud-based service, which also offers state-of-the-art analytical tools and modelling capabilities. The two top winning teams will pitch their solutions at European Maritime Day 2025 in Cork, Ireland! This flagship event ended a bumper Marine Knowledge Month following EU Ocean Days 2025 (see news articles below for more information).

A new data set containing over 67,000 charted, uncharted, wrecks from around the world is now available on EMODnet. The data set is maintained by the UK Hydrographic Office and receives regular quarterly updates.

This new product, developed by Deltares in cooperation with the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, identifies areas suitable for reef habitats in the North Sea based on four key species occurrences and environmental variables such as bathymetry, grain size distribution, temperature and salinity.

EMODnet showcased its partnership with Scuba Schools International and the German Foundation (GOF) at BOOT 2025, presenting the joint citizen science initiative which delivers ocean environmental data collected by scuba divers’ dive computers into EMODnet. The partnership was launched one year ago with EC DG MARE and EMODnet Physics, and already has thousands of data submitted to EMODnet, with the projection to include millions of ocean temperature data profiles alone! This year, the EMODnet Secretariat presented on the ‘Love your Ocean’ stage and had a stand together with GOF who also presented EMODnet during the week. BOOT is a world-leading boating and watersports exhibition, held in Düsseldorf, Germany, this year between 18-26 January 2025.

The EMODnet Secretariat presented highlights of an EMODnet for ports, marinas and boating sectors workshop at BOOT 2025, the international watersports show in Düsseldorf, Germany. The workshop, co-organised with the European Boating Industry, TransEurope marinas and the European Sea Ports Organisation produced a report in December 2024, with key outcomes presented directly to stakeholders from these Blue Economy sectors as part of the Blue Innovation Dock at BOOT 2025. Click below to read the full report.

Less than 2 months ago, EMODnet held its fourth Blue Economy workshop, with this edition’s focus on the Ports, Marinas and boating sectors. And now you can read all about it in the workshop report, released this week for public access and download. The event was held online on 22 October 2024, co-organised by EMODnet, EC DG MARE, the European Boating Industry (EIB), TransEurope Marinas and the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO). The event brought together over 70 experts, including representatives from local and national port authorities, representatives of marinas, boating operators, European networks of these Blue Economy sectors, and wider stakeholders from the public and private sectors, together with EMODnet experts and wider open data specialists. Recommendations include marine data needs from these sectors, current and emerging uses of EMODnet data to support ports, marinas and boating operations and planning, and the value of data sharing, including how EMODnet’s data ingestion can support this process to ensure FAIR data, for the benefit of all.

What do you get if you combine the EMODnet marine data service and the European Digital Twin Ocean (EDITO) platform in a Hackathon? A world-first opportunity to ideate and innovate using Europe’s most comprehensive  in situ  marine data and data products, on the cloud! From 25–27 March 2024, the fourth edition of the EMODnet Open Sea Lab (OSL 4.0) Hackathon will offer exactly that. And, as a free, online event, this hackathon is truly open to all. Registration is now open, just in time for the festive season! Don’t miss this chance to join a community of ocean innovators—register now and turn your data-driven vision into action! Winning teams will receive a variety of prizes. Terms and conditions apply.

Mark your calendars for the 4th edition of the EMODnet Open Sea Lab (OSL) Hackathon, happening online from 25 to 27 March 2025. The hackathon builds on the last 3 successful editions, with one key difference: In addition to using EMODnet services, participants will be given unparalleled access to the EMODnet and Copernicus Marine Service offer via the European Digital Twin Ocean infrastructure (EDITO). This is a very exciting time for marine digital services, and we invite all interested stakeholders, from data scientists to IT specialists and from policy makers to researchers, students and the private sector to join EMODnet in this unique hackathon - Stay tuned for more details, coming soon!

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