52°North Spatial Information Research GmbH

52°North is devoted to spatial information research. As a non-profit company, it supports open science through open data and open source software. 52°North’s major interest the development of interoperable spatial research data infrastructures based on cutting-edge geo-information technologies.

Turning data into information is the key to making informed decisions. Through Spatial Information Research, 52°North develops methods, technologies and solutions to support the information generation, and hence the decision process.

The team of Research Software Engineers and Data Scientists knows how to integrate data provided from a range of sources – from in situ to satellite – and they contribute to a variety of application domains. It conducts applied research in the field of spatial data and also supports open science with powerful IT solutions from data harmonization and processing to visualization.

Spatial data plays a key role in supporting environmental monitoring, marine sciences, hydrology, disaster management, smart mobility, risk assessment and mitigation and many other application domains. 52°North’s goal is to facilitate the availability and use of spatio-temporal data by innovating the methods and technologies for creating, managing, sharing, analysing and visualizing this data.

52°North pursues three interwoven disciplines.

52°North complements its’ research activities by the development of operational solutions in order to create a tangible added value in practice. This combination turns scientific results into relevant innovations. 52°North supports the development of operational solutions by offering professional services, such as training and consulting services, software engineering or data analysis.

Aalborg University

Aalborg University was established in 1974 in Aalborg and include today three campuses in Aalborg, Esbjerg, and Copenhagen. AAU has around 19.400 students and 3.800 employees and a tradition for strong interplay between staff and students and intense collaboration with public and private sectors and all degree programmes and research activities at Aalborg University are problem-oriented and project-based and have an interdisciplinary focus.

The Department of Planning belongs to the Technical Faculty of IT and Design at AAU and is a large department dealing with all aspects of sustainable development and spatial planning including topics like climate change, ocean governance, environmental impact assessments and geoinformatics.

The Geoinformatics and Earth Observation research group has a strong capacity within development and application of methods from Geographical Information Science (GISc) and Remote Sensing, Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), Spatial Decision Support Systems, Citizen Science, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in an interdisciplinary setting to study the spatio-temporal phenomena and processes driving changes in terrestrial and marine environments.

Research within the research group concentrates on the development of analytical tools and methodological approaches to address environmental and societal challenges and sustainable development, and recent research projects includes a number of EU projects related to maritime spatial planning and coastal zone management. 

AAU is leading AquaINFRA, and the research team will contribute to all work packages in AquaINFRA.

Aalborg Universitet

Blue Lobster IT Limited

Blue Lobster IT Ltd is a software & Communications agency for freshwater, marine and coastal sciences.

The team are highly experienced in working with large marine data infrastructures with a large portfolio of data and information products and tools that are designed to engage with a variety of end-users including scientists and researchers, industry, policy and public stakeholder groups.

In addition to software development, BLIT lead / co lead several work packages in H2020 and Horizon Europe projects related to communication, dissemination and outreach.

Centro de Investigación Ecológica y Aplicaciones Forestales

CREAF is a public research center dedicated to terrestrial ecology, territorial analysis and global change, pursuing excellence in the production and dissemination of knowledge, in addition to the innovation, development, and transfer of methodologies.  


In AquaINFRA, CREAF leads the Mediterranean region use case in WP5 – Use cases and CREAF participates in WP2 – Technical coordination and alignment, WP4 – AquaINFRA Interaction Platform, integration & processing and WP7 – Dissemination, and communication. CREAF, as responsible of Mediterranean use case, will participate in Task 7.4: Communicating use-case demonstrators.

CREAF

CSC-Tieteen tietotekniikan keskus Oy

CSC is a non-profit state enterprise with special tasks. As part of the national research system, CSC develops, integrates and provides high-quality information technology services and ensures that Finland remains at the forefront of development. CSC has an important role as an instrument for steering and developing the Ministry of Education and Culture's education, science and cultural policy. It's owned by the Finnish state (70% shareholding) and higher education institutions (30% shareholding).

In AquaINFRA, CSC contributes to the technical coordination and integration with EOSC (WP2), as well as the development of the Data Space, Data Access Service, and Data Harmonisation service (WP3). 

CSC – Tieteen tietotekniikan keskus Oy

German Climate Computing Centre

Deutsche Klimarechenzentrum

Estonian Marine Institute

 is one of the 10 institutes in the Faculty of Science and Technology at University of Tartu. University of Tartu is the largest (14 000 students and 3000 staff) and oldest (established in 1632) university in Estonia. Estonian Marine Institute and its predecessors have nearly half a century of experience in different fields of marine science. 

The Department of Remote Sensing and Marine Optics, which is taking part in the AquaInfra project, also has about 40 years of experience in developing remote sensing methods for optically complex inland and coastal waters, as well as using remote sensing in different fields from environmental monitoring to global change studies. 

HELCOM

The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission – also known as the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) – is an intergovernmental organisation and a regional sea convention in the Baltic Sea area. A regional platform for environmental policymaking, HELCOM was established in 1974 to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution.

HELCOM's field of expertise is handling specific topics related to the Baltic Sea’s environment, human activities and pressures from the catchment area or maritime activities. The HELCOM Working Groups and affiliated Expert Groups are major contributors to HELCOM’s work, gathering science and technical expertise and translating their findings into policies, strategies or recommendations. HELCOM also coordinates regional monitoring and assessment work related to the Baltic Sea and has an extensive Map and Data Service.

The HELCOM team will contribute to several work packages in AquaINFRA and lead task 5.2 of WP5 on Regional Use Cases. HELCOM also has expertise in the area of data services provision and will play a role in WP3 on Data Discovery and Access System, along with the development of an interactive platform under WP4.

HELCOM - The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Hereon is member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, which is the largest scientific organization in Germany. The research centre was founded in 1956 and has its main campus in Geesthacht near Hamburg. One focus of research is in the area of Earth and environment. Through research and consulting, Hereon addresses the challenges of climate change in a solution-oriented manner and facilitates sustainable management as well as the protection of the coasts and marine environment through comprehensive scientific understanding. From basic understanding to practical applications – the interdisciplinary research centre covers a unique spectrum. 

The Hereon AquaINFRA project partners are scientists from the Institute of Carbon Cycles, mainly the Department of Optical Oceanography and the Helmholtz Coastal Data Centre. The research focus of the institute is on the study of material and energy fluxes into the coastal seas. The Hereon team primarily contributes to the implementation of reliable ocean (water) colour satellite data across the land-sea transition.

Bochum University of Applied Sciences

Bochum University of Applied Sciences is an engineering and business university located in Germany's largest urban area, the Ruhr region. Its 8200 students are enrolled in 40 different bachelor's and master's programs and benefit from a strong connection to the regional industry and practice-oriented education. 

The Department of Geodesy offers education in surveying and geoinformatics. It is currently involved in several national and international research projects that deal with the handling and analysis of spatial data and the development of open educational resources for this purpose, most notably the German National Research Data for the Earth System Sciences (NFDI4Earth). 

The team will contribute to several work packages in AquaINFRA with its expertise gained in these projects and lead WP6 on Community Engagement and Capacity Building.

Hochschule Bochum

Institute of Marine Sciences, CSIC

The Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM) is the fourth largest research institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the largest dedicated to marine research. Under the motto 'Ocean Science for a Healthy Planet', the ICM conducts frontier research and fosters both knowledge and technology transfer on topics related to ocean and climate interactions, conservation and sustainable use of marine life and ecosystems, and impact mitigation of natural and anthropogenic hazards. In-depth knowledge, determined action, and coordinated management are essential to confronting these global challenges, thereby driving the sustainable development of humankind.

ICM’s team will contribute to WP5, under the Mediterranean Use Case. In collaboration with colleagues from CREAF and University of Malta, we’ll follow the diffusion of pollution and nutrient contribution from rivers into the sea.

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie - KIT

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association.” As the only German university of excellence with a national large-scale research sector, we offer our students, researchers, and employees unique learning, teaching, and working conditions.

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie

L-Università ta' Malta

The Marine Geology and Seafloor Surveying group within the Department of Geosciences, University of Malta, undertakes multidisciplinary studies of seafloor and sub-seafloor environments using advanced mapping and observational techniques. The group combines well-established strategies with innovative data, concepts and methodologies from geology, geomorphology, sedimentology, geophysics and engineering to address long-standing and fundamental questions in marine geosciences. 

The methods they use are rooted in a multi-scale approach that incorporates accurate field measurements topographic analyses, laboratory simulations and numerical modelling. The key driver of their research is to understand the fundamental processes and dynamics of seafloor and sub-seafloor evolution. The group's work has applications ranging from hazard assessment, palaeo-environmental reconstruction, resource assessment and management, and ocean governance, among others.

Fields of expertise include geology, hydrogeology, remote sensing, and numerical modelling. The Department of Geosciences will participate in WP5, primarily by providing data and testing the developed services for the Malta use case.

Latvijas Hidroekoloǧijas  institūts

Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology (LIAE) is a research institute with strong expertise in marine and freshwater environments and ecology. Since its foundation in 1995, LIAE has been responsible for national marine monitoring and data reporting in line with EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. 

The main LIAE’s research directions include oceanographic processes, the impact of climate fluctuations on coastal habitats, marine biodiversity aspects and the impact of alien species, patterns and the fate of primary production, and biogeochemical cycling of nutrients.

In AquaINFRA, LIAE is the lead partner for WP5, and our work will mainly involve WP5 Use Cases.

Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (FVB-IGB)

Introduction to the organisation: The Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (FVB-IGB) is Germany’s largest and one of the leading international research centres for freshwaters. Its vision is the understanding of all fundamental processes in freshwaters and their communities. IGB’s research findings help to tackle global environmental changes and to develop measures conductive to sustainable water management. Within AquaINFRA, two departments of FVB-IGB are involved: the Department of Community and Ecosystem Ecology, and the Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology.

Maanmittauslaitos

Norsk institutt for vannforskning

The Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) is Norway’s leading institute for fundamental and applied research on marine and freshwaters. The institute’s research comprises a wide array of environmental, climatic and resource-related fields. NIVA’s world-class expertise is multidisciplinary with a broad scientific scope. We combine research, monitoring, evaluation, problem-solving and advisory services at international, national and local levels.

NIVAs broad scope of scientific competence, research expertise and long-term environmental data series are important to Norwegian business and industry, public administration on municipal, regional and national levels. NIVA has extensive experience in international research cooperation with several international assignment, e.g. is NIVA leading the new European Topic Centre on Biodiversity and Ecosystems (ETC-BE) from the European Environment Agency (EEA). 

NIVA's FerryBox system for the collection, analysis and presentation of oceanographic and water quality data combines information from sensors installed on board ships sailing along fixed routes with data from environmental satellites and discrete water samples. Information from FerryBox is used by a number of Norwegian and international research and monitoring projects. The FerryBoxes are also part of the European Commission Horizon 2020 JERICO-NEXT and INTAROS projects. In addition, the data collected is used by the Norwegian Environmental Agency, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Research Council for the Inner and Outer Oslo fjord.

NIVA will participate in WP3, WP4 and WP5, by providing data, data flows and testing the developed services for the North Sea region use case.

SINTEF

SINTEF is one of Europe’s largest independent research organisations. Every year we carry out several thousand projects for customers large and small. For more than 70 years, SINTEF has developed solutions and innovation for society and customers all over the world. This is how we have become a world-leading research institute.

SINTEF is a broad, multidisciplinary research organisation with international top-level expertise in the fields of technology, the natural sciences, medicine and the social sciences. We conduct contract R&D as a partner for the private and public sectors, and we are one of the largest contract research institutions in Europe. Our vision is Technology for a better society.

SINTEF AS

Suomen ympäristökeskus

The Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) is a government research institute that offers strong expertise and independent information on global phenomena such as climate change, biodiversity loss, overconsumption, pollution and eutrophication. We enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation. We advance the transition to a sustainable circular economy. We support urban areas on their way to becoming forerunners of sustainability. We promote well-being through nature-based solutions and prevent biodiversity loss. We develop new approaches for reaching a good state of the seas and inland waters and achieving sustainable use of water resources. We currently employ some 700 professionals working in offices located in Helsinki, Oulu, Jyväskylä and Joensuu. 

At the beginning of 2023, Syke had an organisation update. The aim of the new organisation is to improve Syke's ability to respond to challenges related to sustainability transformation. Syke’s departments involved in AquaINFRA are Quality of information and Marine and freshwater solutions. Our work will mostly involve WP5 Use cases (the Baltic Sea use case in particular), but we also participate in all other WPs.

Technische Universität Dresden

TUD Dresden University of Technology is one of the largest Universities of Technology in Germany and is among the leading and most dynamic universities in the country. With 17 Faculties across five Schools, it offers a widespread range of 119 degree programmes and covers a broad spectrum of research. About 30.000 students are enrolled at TUD.

The Faculty of Environmental’s profile is unique in Germany and internationally with a strong link to European research. It unites three essential environment-related science fields under one umbrella – Forest, Hydro, and Geo Sciences, and this interdisciplinary and international approach enables significant synergy benefits.

The research activities of the Chair of Geoinformatics focus on geoinformation systems and web-based information and research data infrastructures, smart environmental monitoring and modelling, and distributed spatial analysis. Moreover, it acts as the coordinating unit of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) Consortium NFDI4Earth that addresses the digital needs of Earth System Sciences. It cooperates in international and interdisciplinary networks with the overarching aim of understanding the functioning and interactions within the Earth system and addressing the multiple challenges of global change.

TUD is an associated partner in AquaINFRA and will contribute to several work packages with its expertise – especially in WP6 on Community Engagement and Capacity Building.

Universität für Bodenkultur Wien

The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, known also by its acronym "BOKU", was founded in  1872.  BOKU  is an education and research institution for renewable resources and sustainability in Vienna, Austria. BOKU responds to central societal challenges with a focus on problem-solving rather than a discipline-oriented structure, combining expertise in the fields of natural sciences, engineering as well as social and economic sciences.

The Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management (IHG) contributing to AquaINFRA belongs to the Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment at BOKU. The institute consists of an interdisciplinary group of river ecologists, landscape ecologists, river engineers, biogeochemists and historians organised in seven working groups.  The institute’s research deals with the functions, processes and structures of aquatic ecosystems and their environment, with a focus on biodiversity, biotic interactions,  habitat demands, hydromorphological dynamics,  nutrient cycles,  food chains, aquaculture and fisheries management.  IHG has played a  key role in the  Europe-wide development and implementation of WFD compliant assessments for rivers, and has participated in numerous EU-funded projects, such as WISER, BioFresh, MARS, AQUACROSS or MERLIN. 

In AquaINFRA, IHG contributes to the development of the Data Space, Data Access Service, and Data Harmonisation services. Furthermore, IHG leads the work on the pan-European use case. This use case will build on the seamless connectivity across the pan-European hydrography to analyse range-wide biodiversity related estimates contributing to EU nature policies concerning the restoration of healthy oceans and inland waters.

Project

Partners

AquaINFRA International Partners

52°North Spatial Information Research GmbH

Aalborg Universitet [Coordinator]

Blue Lobster IT Limited

CREAF

CSC – Tieteen tietotekniikan keskus Oy

Deutsche Klimarechenzentrum

Estonian Marine Institute

HELCOM - The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Hochschule Bochum

Institute of Marine Sciences, CSIC

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie

L-Università ta' Malta

Latvijas Hidroekoloǧijas institūts

Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (FVB-IGB)

Maanmittauslaitos

Norsk institutt for vannforskning

SINTEF AS

Suomen ympäristökeskus

Technische Universität Dresden

Universität für Bodenkultur Wien

Project

Partners

AquaINFRA International Partners

52°North Spatial Information Research GmbH

Aalborg Universitet [Coordinator]

Blue Lobster IT Limited

CREAF

CSC – Tieteen tietotekniikan keskus Oy

Deutsche Klimarechenzentrum

Estonian Marine Institute

HELCOM - The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Hochschule Bochum

Institute of Marine Sciences, CSIC

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie

L-Università ta' Malta

Latvijas Hidroekoloǧijas institūts

Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (FVB-IGB)

Maanmittauslaitos

Norsk institutt for vannforskning

SINTEF AS

Suomen ympäristökeskus

Technische Universität Dresden

Universität für Bodenkultur Wien

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