INTEGRATED DigitaL Framework FOR Comprehensive MARITIME DATA AND INFORMATION SERVICES

Project Information

ILIAD

Grant agreement ID: 101037643

DOI

10.3030/101037643

Project closed

EC signature date 29 September 2021

Start date 1 February 2022

End date 31 July 2025

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost

€ 18 956 630,00

EU contribution

€ 17 046 229,63

Coordinated by

NETCOMPANY SA
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - ILIAD (INTEGRATED DigitaL Framework FOR Comprehensive MARITIME DATA AND INFORMATION SERVICES)

Reporting period: 2024-02-01 to 2025-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

ILIAD aimed to establish interoperable, data-intensive, and cost-effective Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTOs) that fuses a large volume of diverse data in a semantically rich and data agnostic approach to enable simultaneous communication with real-world systems and models. The ILIAD DTOs contribute towards a sustainable ocean economy. ILIAD has followed the System of Systems approach, integrating existing EU Earth Observing and Modelling Digital Infrastructures and Facilities and the ILIAD Marketplace has been created to promote digital applications related to Blue Economy. Providers can use the ILIAD Marketplace to distribute apps, plug-ins, interfaces, raw data, citizen science data, synthesized information, and value-adding services.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The Iliad project successfully delivered a comprehensive framework for Digital Twins of the Ocean, integrating high-resolution modelling, observation data, and advanced analytics into a user-oriented platform. A dedicated Ocean Interoperability Data Space was created, ensuring seamless access to 65 datasets and 17 APIs under recognised standards, with innovative formats enabling real-time streaming and long-term usability. Data integration combined observatory and repository sources with novel low-cost sensors, drones, gliders, drifters, and specialised instruments deployed across 24 pilot sites, strengthening Europe’s marine data ecosystem. Citizen engagement was a core element, with more than 1,200 initiatives catalogued, over 20 apps and tools developed, and innovative approaches such as training, hackathons, and gamification boosting participation, standardisation, and integration of citizen-generated data.
The project co-created 27 models and 22 pilot twins spanning domains from fisheries and aquaculture to biodiversity, renewable energy, and harbour safety, all validated in real-world settings. These were supported by advanced modelling and analytics services, including data assimilation, surrogate modelling, AI-driven event detection, and visual analytics, integrated into intuitive dashboards, immersive VR applications, and tools such as GeoViz and Procedural Ocean. A marketplace was established as the flagship entry point, hosting over 100 products with 315 active users and more than 2,100 click-throughs, complemented by the Iliad Academy (14 courses, 70+ webinars, 30 tools), Policy Toolkits, and the BlueTech Transfer platform, which links research and innovation to funding, incubation, and market networks.
Demonstrations confirmed strong decision-support value, with more than 80% of pilots successfully showcasing operational “what-if” scenarios. Engagement with policymakers, industry, and international organisations aligned the DTOs with the Green Deal, DestinE, MSFD, and the Ocean Pact, supported by dedicated toolkits, guidebooks, and measurable policy impacts such as fuel and emissions reductions in pilot cases. Dissemination and communication activities exceeded targets, with the website reaching 95,000 views, over 1,000 social media posts, 76 events, 7 webinars, 3 hackathons, and 292 scientific outputs published, including 78 conference papers, 54 journal articles, and 41 open datasets. The flagship Iliad Symposium at OCEANS 2025 in Brest further amplified results through 7 sessions, 25+ presentations, live demos, and international policy dialogues.
Industry partners actively co-developed 22 use cases into DTO-based solutions, supported by exploitation plans, business models, legal guidance, and a roadmap to TRL9, ensuring a clear pathway to market uptake. Intellectual property, data governance, and regulatory frameworks were addressed to secure trust and compliance. Collectively, Iliad has established a lasting ecosystem of innovation, collaboration, and exploitation, positioning Digital Twins of the Ocean as powerful instruments for science, policy, and industry, with impact and benefits extending well beyond the project’s lifetime.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The ILIAD project has gone beyond the state of the art by delivering a comprehensive ecosystem for Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTOs) that integrates high-resolution models, real-time data, advanced analytics, and immersive visualisation tools into a federated, standards-based and user-oriented framework. It has pioneered the Ocean Interoperability Data Space, ensured semantic and technical alignment through IEEE, ISO and OGC actions, and demonstrated operational interoperability with EDITO. Pilots across fisheries, aquaculture, biodiversity, renewable energy, oil spills, water quality, and harbour safety validated 22 DTOs and 27 models, supported by advanced services such as AI-based event detection, surrogate modelling, and participatory dashboards and VR environments.
Expected results until the end of the project include further expansion of the Marketplace (already hosting 100+ products and 315 active users), maturation of services to TRL9 through the exploitation roadmap, and consolidation of policy-relevant outputs such as toolkits, guidebooks, and briefs. Capacity building through the Iliad Academy, hackathons, summer schools, and citizen science apps ensures uptake by diverse communities, while business plans, regulatory recommendations, and IPR strategies support sustainable exploitation and technology transfer to industry.
The potential impacts are wide-ranging: scientifically, ILIAD has advanced open standards, FAIR data, and reusable software assets that will outlive the project; economically, it provides new business opportunities in the blue economy through co-developed use cases and service innovation; socially, it empowers citizens and early-career professionals through training and participatory science; and politically, it strengthens EU leadership in DTOs, aligning outputs with the Green Deal, MSFD, MSP, and the Ocean Pact. Collectively, ILIAD demonstrates how DTOs can serve as powerful instruments for environmental stewardship, informed policymaking, industrial innovation, and societal engagement, ensuring lasting benefits well beyond the project’s lifetime.

ILIAD Web Cover Image