The European Union is collecting input on OceanEye – a new initiative to expand the bloc’s ocean intelligence – with a new survey.
The European Commission launched OceanEye in June with an initial investment of EUR 92 million (USD 106 million), seeking to grow its ocean observation systems to the point of providing 35 percent of global capacity by 2035. At the same time, the bloc aims to secure a quarter of the global ocean observation technology market.
A major component of OceanEye is the creation of a publicly accessible digital twin of the world’s ocean, incorporating multiple data sources to enable real-time monitoring and predictive modeling.
“With OceanEye, Europe will lead the race to understand our ocean, to protect it, and to sustainably harness its potential,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a release. “This is about using science and good governance to understand our ocean and secure our future. We call on all member states and global partners to join us to support the Global Ocean Observing System and make OceanEye a reality.”
On 29 July, the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries announced the launch of a survey to collect insight on the sector from companies or organizations involved in ocean observation technologies. Specifically, the government is seeking context to better understand “the structure, performance, and competitiveness of the European ocean observation sector in comparison with international competitors.”
“Your input will help ensure that future E.U. policies, funding programs, and support measures reflect industry realities and priorities of the European ocean observation sector,” the directorate said in its announcement.
Comments will be accepted through 15 September. Those who participate will receive a summary of aggregated findings from the survey and could be considered for late case studies highlighting the ocean observation sector.
