Hence this fourth edition of the Digital Ocean Forum aimed to further co-construct the EU Digital Ocean Platform in the frame of the EDITO project, building on the two EU Flagship Ocean Services: the Copernicus Marine and the EMODnet Services. The event was organized back-to-back with the EMODnet Open Conference 2025.
The Digital Ocean Forum 2025 was an event to share the advances of the European Digital Twin Ocean platform and to further co-design it. Following the UNOC3 success of the European Digital Ocean Pavilion that welcomed over 27,800 visitors, this fourth edition was an opportunity to get back to work and further discuss how to achieve together a fully deployed Digital Twin Ocean platform. This event brought together many EU Horizon Europe project leaders, experts and stakeholders in the co-design and co-creation of the European Digital Twin Ocean in the frame of the EDITO project.
A high-level public event opened the scene with interventions from several European Commission’s Directorates-General (DG RTD, DG DEFIS, DG MARE, DG INTPA, DG ENV), showcasing how the EU Digital Ocean platform contributes to the implementation of the EU Ocean Pact, the Global Gateway and the UN Decade of Science for Sustainable Development. It was followed by a technical workshop to further engage EU Horizon Europe projects and onboard their innovative assets on the platform. The event was also an opportunity to gather feedback and requirements for future developments with a strong user-centric approach.
The Digital Ocean Forum 2025 was organized by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS) and the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), with Mercator Ocean International, Flanders Marine Institute and SeaScape Belgium as the implementation partners in the frame of the EDITO project.