The INTEGRATED CARBON OBSERVATION SYSTEM, ICOS, is a European-wide research infrastructure observing greenhouse gases and the carbon cycle. ICOS produces standardised data on greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, as well as on carbon fluxes between the atmosphere, the ecosystems and oceans. This information is essential for predicting and mitigating climate change. ICOS was on the first ESFRI Roadmap in 2006 and became an ERIC (the legal entity for European Research Infrastructures) in 2015.
During these almost two decades of its existence, ICOS went through a number of crucial steps of its life cycle:
The design phase was mainly characterized by defining the parameters to observe and standardising the methods of observation, by developing a governance model, and by finding long-term resources for implementation and operation of the research infrastructure.
During the implementation phase a complex fabric of national funding needed to be coordinated in order to establish the observational networks which was combined with a process of ensuring the compliance of each station with the agreed standards. In addition, the data life cycle from a single instrument to a diverse user community had to be designed and established. In this context, exchange of experience within the ENVRI community, supported by a series of cluster projects was very helpful.
ICOS is now in its operational phase supporting many scientific users with open data. It has one of the highest ‘FAIR data index’ within the ENVRI community. The data are used in many scientific fields, they are essential for climate models and are used directly in communication and dissemination to policy makers e.g. at Conferences of Parties (COPs) within the UNFCCC.
ICOS is currently exploring how to widen the impact of its observations by developing services for scientific or societal users. Services for climate actions in cities or services for scientifically sound carbon dioxide removal certificates are two examples.
Throughout its lifetime, the further development of ICOS has been supported by a number of EU projects. The strategic management of the project portfolio and the orverarching experience how these projects have supported the development of ICOS will be explained in the presentation.
How to cite: Kutsch, W. L.: The Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) supporting climate science and climate action, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19484, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19484, 2025.
RI-URBANS (Research Infrastructures Services Reinforcing Air Quality (AQ) Monitoring Capacities in European Urban & Industrial AreaS) is a research project supported by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 – Research and Innovation Framework Programme, H2020-GD-2020 (grant 10103624) that connects the atmospheric observation expertise from Aerosols, Clouds and Trace gases Research InfraStructure (ACTRIS), with the urban air quality observation capacities of the regulatory air quality monitoring networks. It is specifically connected to the new European AQ Directive (NAQD) 2024/2881/CE published on 20 November 2024.
RI-URBANS focuses on the infrastructures to measure emerging pollutants for AQ and the well-being of the citizens. Particularly, service tools (STs) for novel pollutants, such as ultrafine particles (UFP), UFP-number size distribution (PNSD), black carbon (BC) and elemental carbon (EC), as well as ammonia (NH3) and numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and measurements of tracers of potential toxicity of PM (oxidative potential (OP) of particulate matter PM), are provided for urban supersites in order to support scientific understanding of their effects on health and the environment. The NAQD in Art 10 has introduced the measurements of these new pollutants in a new network of AQ supersites.
To facilitate implementation of the new air quality directive, RI-URBANS developed a series of Service Tools (ST). In essence, they are guidance documents that RI-URBANS have reviewed, in some cases developed, tested, and recommended for advanced AQ assessment in urban areas. These tools can be used to assess AQ in accordance with RI-URBANS AQ monitoring and modelling recommendations for novel pollutants. These recommendations include protocols for measuring the above advanced AQ variables (derived from ACTRIS and CEN or, in specific cases, proposed, when not available), mapping protocols, emission inventories, modelling tools, measuring vertical profiles, and suggested epidemiological approaches to evaluate the health effects of new pollutants.
RI-URBANS has produced 16 STs on the above pollutants, but also on source apportionment of PM, UFP-PNSD, BC, VOCs and OP, as well as on modelling, urban mapping and vertical profiles.
These STs have been tested during one year in 5 pilot studies, where 11 cities were involved. With the results of these demonstration studies final guidance documents were elaborated for each ST. Furthermore, available long-term datasets on the above pollutants have been compiled and interpreted. Thus, in each ST guidance document the added value of measuring the specific pollutant/variable/parameter is also shown.
The electronic file of the guidance documents of the individual STs can be downloaded at https://riurbans.eu/project/#service-too
We present here the 16 STs and how we interacted with the AQ stakeholders for co-designing these and how we have disseminated the guidance documents and influenced elaboration, discussion and implementation of the NAQD as far new pollutants are concerned.
How to cite: Querol, X. and Petäjä, T.: RI-URBANS: New air quality parameters for an advanced policy assessment in urban Europe, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-3187, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-3187, 2025.
Since the atmosphere is omnipresent, it plays a vital role in the complex interactions with other Earth and societal systems. This is especially true in urban areas, where over 4 billion people currently reside, a number expected to grow to 70% of the global population by 2050[1]. Human interventions in the urban environment – including spatial planning, the development of green, blue and grey infrastructure, and mobility choices – interact with climate and meteorological variables to influence the health and well-being of urban dwellers and the liveability of our cities. Such complexity makes it challenging for existing infrastructures to provide robust evidence to support stakeholders who make these decisions. Thus, a digital twin tailored to stakeholder needs that brings together internationally disparate expertise and high-quality research infrastructures would be highly beneficial.
UrbanAIR[2], started in January 2025, strives to develop such a digital twin that supports urban decision-makers as they contend with design dilemmas stemming from the impacts of climate change and air quality on citizen health and socio-economic wellbeing. It is a highly interdisciplinary consortium, bringing together computer scientists, environmental modellers, communication specialists, social scientists and software developers. On the technical side, UrbanAIR will include a cascade of atmospheric models, ranging from the global scale, linking via the mesoscale to very high-resolution simulators at the neighbourhood or street level. By starting from the perspective of the decision-maker and fostering co-creation, we will configure the models to generate scenarios that address key dilemmas and support a balanced evaluation of decision criteria. In this presentation, we will present our plans for integrating the different simulation and decision-making components. We will pay specific attention to the integration of observations into the simulator and to uncertainty quantification through emerging data assimilation and machine-learning techniques.
The resulting dynamic, user-friendly workflow and tools will be integrated into the Destination Earth infrastructure[3], empowering municipalities and industries to make informed choices on urban planning and design to better prepare for climate change adaptation and hazard exposure. By testing the tools in a variety of real-world settings, the research infrastructure of UrbanAIR will pave the way for effective climate adaptation and hazard mitigation in a more general sense, transforming urban planning and design into a proactive, tool-based, approach for a safer, healthier, and more resilient future.
[1] World Bank, https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/overview, accessed 13 January 2025
[2] UrbanAIR is part of the work programme HORIZON-INFRA-2024-TECH-01-03: New digital twins for Destination Earth.
[3] https://destination-earth.eu/
How to cite: Vossepoel, F. C., Pickard, S., van Reeuwijk, M., Samler, M., Theeuwes, N., and Veldeman, N.: Towards a digital twin of the urban atmosphere for decision support, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-7284, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7284, 2025.
The IRISCC (Integrated Research Infrastructure Services for Climate Change risks, www.iriscc.eu) project delivers scientific and knowledge-based services aimed to support society’s capacity to address and strengthen resilience to climate change. IRISCC will establish a comprehensive service catalogue for research, innovation, training, and digital services related to climate risks. The project represents a significant step forward in the integration and operationalisation of 14 national and international research infrastructures (RIs) including many RIs being part of the Environmental RI community ENVRI.
IRISCC brings together almost 80 partners representing disciplines from natural science to social sciences. IRISCC will establish a “one-stop-shop” focusing on fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and providing open and FAIR climate change related RI services. These services include transnational access to research facilities and virtual access to harmonised data, as well as standardised methodologies and cutting-edge tools for understanding climate change driven risk and their determinants (hazard, exposure, and vulnerability). Aligned with the session’s emphasis on integrative approaches, IRISCC demonstrates how collaborative frameworks across research domains can enhance the capabilities of environmental RIs. The project’s development of shared standards and interoperable tools exemplifies the harmonisation and innovation necessary to address global environmental challenges.
By EGU 2025, IRISCC will have launched its first suite of services, marking a milestone in the project's contribution to advancing environmental science and resilience-building efforts. This presentation will showcase the newly released IRISCC services and the applications of the follow up service releases in advancing research on climate risks, disaster risk reduction, and cross-sectoral environmental integration. It will also discuss the collaborative efforts within the ENVRI community and beyond (RIs from data, health and social sciences), emphasising the role of integrated RIs in delivering actionable knowledge to researchers, policymakers, and society.
By offering transnational and virtual access and facilitating the interaction with key stakeholders through its service design laboratories, IRISCC aligns with the session's focus on the future evolution of research infrastructures. Its approach not only supports multidisciplinary research but also strengthens the pathways for translating scientific advancements into effective policies and practical solutions.
IRISCC is funded by the European Union (project number 101131261). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
How to cite: Haapanala, P., Brus, M., Nikolaidis, N., Bäck, J., Kivekäs, N., Kutsch, W., Schaap, D., Larsen, K. S., Petracca Altieri, R. M., Lund Myhre, C., Korsgaad, K., Sorvari Sundet, S., and Rinne, J.: IRISCC: Advancing Environmental Science through Integrated Services for Climate Change Risks, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16219, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16219, 2025.
The FAIR2Adapt European-funded project (grant number: 101188256) aims to transform data into actionable knowledge to shape effective Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) strategies. By collaborating with the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), we leverage its broad range of services and resources, aligning with the EOSC interoperability framework and the FAIR Implementation Framework Catalogue of Resources. This collaboration enhances the accessibility, interoperability, and usability of crucial environmental data, supporting the development of climate adaptation strategies across Europe.
The project spans diverse case studies, such as investigating radionuclide dispersal in the Arctic, monitoring coastal water quality through the RiOMar project, and addressing urban climate-induced stressors in Hamburg. These case studies are built on a FAIR-by-design approach, utilizing technologies such as RO-Crate for implementing FAIR Digital Objects (FDOs), which ensure compliant data packaging and sharing, and nanopublications for representing research outputs in a reusable, formalized format. We also leverage I-ADOPT, a semantic bridging framework, and tailored FDO services to enhance collaboration and facilitate open data sharing.
By fostering collaboration between private and public sectors, we emphasize integrating research data with practical adaptation measures, enabling the reuse of FAIRified data (including datasets, software, workflows, and machine learning models) to meet regulatory requirements, such as the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities. This approach supports cohesive climate risk assessments across multiple EU regions, demonstrating how FAIR and open data sharing can drive effective adaptation strategies. The project also aligns with the EU Mission’s objective of enhancing climate resilience in European regions and communities.
Through transfer cases and collaboration with other initiatives, FAIR2Adapt aims to demonstrate its scalability and applicability beyond the project’s completion, extending its impact to a wide range of climate adaptation scenarios. Stakeholder engagement and capacity-building activities will be key in raising awareness and devising customized solutions, ensuring that the project’s outcomes are grounded in the practical needs of local communities and policymakers.
In summary, FAIR2Adapt contributes to the EOSC mission by fostering data sharing and collaboration, and by building a scalable, extensible framework for data sharing that can be adapted to future climate adaptation challenges. Its impact will span scientific advancement, economic resilience, social-environmental well-being, and responsive policy development, promoting multidisciplinary cooperation, enhancing trust in science, and stimulating a climate-smart economy. Ultimately, FAIR2Adapt seeks to construct a more resilient, inclusive, and knowledge-based society capable of efficiently tackling the challenges of climate change.
How to cite: Fouilloux, A. and Magagna, B.: FAIR2Adapt: Advancing Climate Change Adaptation Strategies through FAIR and open data sharing and Research Infrastructures, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-5215, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-5215, 2025.
Data Terra is a research E-Infrastructure in the field of Earth systems and the environment. Observing, understanding and modelling the Earth system in an integrated manner as it undergoes global change is a fundamental research challenge and a necessity for many environmental and socio-economic applications. Accessing, processing and combining these data in an integrated and dynamic manner is essential for addressing societal issues.
The main challenges facing research infrastructures to maintain their performance include sustaining the systems in place, as well as effective governance models to manage interdisciplinary contexts. At the same time, technological adaptation must meet growing needs for high-performance computing and massive storage, while responding to major societal challenges.
The Data Terra research infrastructure is made up of several data and services hubs, each representing a compartment of the Earth system : AERIS for Atmosphere, THEIA for Land Surfaces, FormaTerre for Solid Earth, ODATIS for Ocean and PNDB for Biodiversity.
In order to face these challenges, Data Terra Research Infrastructure aims to create a global, integrated platform for Earth system observation data, services and products through these five data and services hubs by this following:
- Promoting access to multi-source data
- Develop interoperable services covering the entire data cycle
- Meet FAIR criteria for all Earth system compartments and their interactions
- Coordinate, federate and optimize all existing institutions, facilities and resources in the field within a single research infrastructure
- Implement integrated, multidisciplinary approaches to the use of Earth observation research data
- Support international and European initiatives as well as public policies for sustainable development
In this presentation we will focus on the AERIS hub and its work in supporting the various Research Infrastructures in the atmosphere area and implementing atmosphere data and services in various multidisciplinary projects.
How to cite: Ripon, M., Payan, S., Henry, P., Puissant, A., Huynh, F., Quimbert, E., Chaljub, E., Deschamps-Ostanciaux, E., Biagiotti, I., and Abbassi, G.: The main challenges faced by research infrastructures in maintaining their performance in a multidisciplinary context : the Data Terra case study, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6091, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6091, 2025.
This contribution offers an overview of European collaborative efforts toward increased understanding and risk-focused mitigation strategies through the EU-funded ERIES (European Research Infrastructures for European Synergies, www.eries.eu) project. ERIES provides transnational access to advanced experimental facilities across Europe and Canada, fostering knowledge development in structural, seismic, wind, and geotechnical engineering. The paper outlines the project’s organisational framework, primary research goals, and thematic areas of focus.
Illustrative case studies currently underway at the EUCENTRE Foundation in Pavia, Italy, are shown to demonstrate the scope of research supported by ERIES. These examples showcase how foundational research enabled by this funding initiative can significantly enhance understanding of seismic damage in structures. The project addresses critical issues such as mainshock-aftershock sequences in seismic risk analysis and the refinement of experimental loading protocols. Additionally, in-situ dynamic testing of base-isolated structures offers a unique chance to assess these mitigation devices’ operational performance, furthering innovative experimental approaches.
In essence, ERIES is a key platform for fostering research collaboration across Europe, particularly in structural, seismic, wind, and geotechnical engineering in addition to the wealth of experimental data that will be produced as a result. Through its framework and transnational access opportunities, ERIES enables impactful research that improves the understanding of structural damage and informs risk assessment practices, with broad societal benefits.
How to cite: O'Reilly, G. and Calvi, G. M.: ERIES: Advancing frontier knowledge in earthquake, geotechnical and wind engineering through experimental research, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2484, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2484, 2025.
Six NFOs in Europe have been identified by the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) as long-term Research Infrastructures; three additional NFOs are in observer status. NFOs target the enhanced understanding of the mechanics of earthquakes to unravel the anatomy of complex seismogenic faults.
The TRANSFORM² project has the ambitious goal to improve and transform the existing NFOs, by integrating cutting-edge methodological and technological solutions, paving the way for the next generation of NFOs across Europe. This will be achieved by:
- Conducting tests, horizon scanning and feasibility studies, performing gap-analysis and assessing user needs in order to gain knowledge of the available state-of-the-art sensor equipment, evaluating its appropriateness and applicability for their deployment in the NFOs.
- Accelerating sensor development and testing where possible.
- Creating, developing, and applying workflows that will revolutionize the capacity of NFOs to detect and characterize seismicity and ongoing seismic sequences in real-time, leveraging machine learning as well as the existing and next-generation instrumentation.
- Establishing new paradigms in Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) that are optimized for the dense NFO networks. Assessing the developed workflow’s suitability on EEW applications targeting the decision-makers and, consequently, society.
- Transforming the interaction with stakeholders and decision-makers, underpinned by a deeper understanding of their needs and demands and ultimately the benefits that they can gain from the RIs.
- Assessing the capacity and opening of new pathways for the existing NFOs to function as powerful test-beds for the development, calibration, and testing of new measuring equipment and systems.
- Identifying possible funding mechanisms and sources and providing recommendations to national administration authorities and the European Commission on potential calls for the long-term sustainability of the RIs.
Finally, a ‘white book’ will be created to document how data, products and services from the next-generation Research Infrastructure (RI) can be exploited for the benefit of different target stakeholders, such as the research community, the local authorities, and the society, and propose ways for a sustainable funding of the RI in the future.
TRANSFORM² is funded by the European Commission under project number 101188365 within the HORIZON-INFRA-2024-DEV-01-01 call.
How to cite: Elias, P., Festa, G., Chiaraluce, L., Bernard, P., Kaviris, G., Evangelidis, C., Sokos, E., Clinton, J., Marmureanu, A., Colompelli, S., Supino, M., Paronis, D., Karastathis, V., Meier, M.-A., Ergintav, S., Vuan, A., Fischer, T., Stanka, S., Paliatsas, D., and Serpetsidaki, A.: EU funding to integrate cutting-edge methodological and technological solutions, enabling the development of a next-generation network of Near Fault Observatories across Europe (project TRANSFORM²), EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11863, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11863, 2025.
Since 2022, researchers from 51 European institutions have been collaborating on Geo-INQUIRE, a multidisciplinary Horizon Europe project. This initiative aims to enhance, provide access to, and integrate key datasets, big data streams, and High-Performance Computing (HPC) tools critical for studying temporal variations in the solid Earth, forecasting multi-hazards, and analyzing interactions between the solid Earth and its surrounding environments, including the ocean and atmosphere. The project integrates, harmonizes and supports the efforts of several ERICs and European Consortium (EPOS-ERIC, ECCSEL-ERIC, EMSO-ERIC, CHEESE, ORFEUS, EFEHR)
Geo-INQUIRE seeks to overcome cross-domain barriers, particularly in the land-sea-atmosphere continuum, by leveraging cutting-edge data management techniques, advanced modeling and simulation methods, developments in AI and big data, and the extension of existing data infrastructures. The project focuses on disseminating these resources to the wider scientific community, aligning them with the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) framework.
Although many of these resources already exhibit a high level of maturity, Geo-INQUIRE ensures their advancement to the highest scientific standards by targeting improvements in availability, quality, and spatial and temporal resolution. The initiative emphasizes adherence to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles, the adoption of open standards and licenses, and fostering cross-disciplinary interoperability.
Integration of diverse datasets, including new observables, products, and services, is optimized through targeted activities in seven test beds. These test beds also serve as venues for workshops and summer schools, facilitating hands-on training and engagement with project resources.
We will highlight key scientific achievements, such as participation by over 2,300 scientists in seminars and training activities, as well as improved access to new datasets. Additionally, we will explore novel collaborative frameworks designed to increase diversity among participants and encourage interdisciplinary research. Finally, we will address the challenges and ongoing efforts required to develop infrastructures that support FAIR principles and are adapted to machine learning-driven scientific advancements.
How to cite: Cotton, F. and Strollo, A. and the Geo-Inquire core team: Fostering Curiosity-Driven Research on the Solid Earth: the Geo-INQUIRE project, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-9073, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-9073, 2025.
Reliable, high-resolution information on regional and local climate impacts is crucial for effective climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. The European Commission Destination Earth (DestinE) initiative aims to address this need by creating advanced Digital Twins (DTs) of the Earth, including the Climate Adaptation Digital Twin (Climate DT), which provides km-scale climate information over multiple decades. However, the ability of the Climate DT to support actionable impact assessments is limited by its incomplete representation of critical Earth system components.
To overcome these limitations, we present TerraDT, a Horizon Europe-funded research project focused on developing a state-of-the-art Digital Twin of the Earth system with a specific emphasis on the cryosphere, land surface, and their interactions. TerraDT aligns with the DestinE vision of creating interoperable and interactive DTs and advances Earth system modeling by enhancing the representation of land ice, sea ice, aerosols, and land surface processes at global km-scale resolution.
TerraDT features a modular and scalable infrastructure with a generic coupling interface that supports the integration of novel components, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)-based emulators. This framework enables more accurate climate projections and impact assessments, while user-oriented models provide actionable insights into cryosphere and land-surface-related challenges. The project pursues three primary objectives:
- Develop TerraDT to improve climate projections and impact assessments for enhanced decision-making.
- Enhance the DestinE infrastructure by creating a modular, scalable, and interoperable TerraDT platform with advanced software, high-performance computing, and data handling capabilities.
- Foster user uptake by engaging the scientific community and stakeholders in public and private sectors, ensuring a user-centric approach to development and deployment.
TerraDT is designed for full integration into the DestinE framework, ensuring compatibility and enhancing the overall ecosystem’s capability to guide climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.
By delivering improved accuracy in modeling the cryosphere and land-surface interactions, TerraDT positions itself as a transformative enhancement to DestinE. Its innovative infrastructure, combined with its focus on modularity and user engagement, ensures TerraDT provides robust, actionable climate projections to policymakers and stakeholders worldwide, fostering a more resilient and sustainable future.
How to cite: Devaraju, N., Kontkanen, J., Poutanen, J., Tonttila, J., Bockelmann, H., Schmidt, H., Koldunov, N., Klocke, D., Tourigny, E., Giuffrida, M., Acosta, M., Kokkola, H., Zwinger, T., Laakso, A., and Garavelli, S.: New Digital Twin for Destination Earth: TerraDT – Digital Twin of Earth System for Cryosphere, Land Surface, and Related Interactions, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-17933, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-17933, 2025.
Climate Change is the biggest environmental challenge of the 21st century. Novel sensors are needed to improve our understanding of carbonate chemistry and a concerted scientific effort to compile different requirements, such as needs to know how the carbon observations measured from various parts of the oceans differs. ICOS, EURO-ARGO and EMSO ERICs are all open and accessible world-class sustainable research infrastructures, with enhanced international cooperation that are crucial to foster innovation in the field which have joined their forces together to improve ocean carbon observations.
We will present an overview of the current progress of the GEORGE-project. We will also open discussion about some of the key concerns about the foreseeable long-term future concerns and challenges, such as the data integration, and sustainable funding of the measurement stations which will hinder the integration and implementation of these developed technologies to be an elemental part of the existing observational networks.
How to cite: Rintala, J.-M., Loucaides, S., Mowlem, M., Coppola, L., Leymarie, E., Schuster, U., Steinhoff, T., Cusi, S., Sanders, R., Puillat, I., Lanteri, N., Luhtaniemi, M., de Roeck, Y.-H., Männistö, T., Pirttinen, N., and Kutsch, W.: GEORGE –scientific success-story about the collaboration between three European Research Infrastructure Consortiums (ICOS, EMSO and EURO-ARGO) developing novel tools for observational gaps and future needs., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16321, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16321, 2025.
Making vertical profiles of water column properties from ships, a process known as hydrography, is one of the oldest ways of observing the ocean, conducted by nearly every coastal state. The presence of scientists on ships, the high levels of power available and the high quantities of water available from modern CTD rosettes allow hydrographic programmes to measure a great range of parameters, with great precision. As a result hydrographic observations remain the bedrock of the modern ocean observing system, against which many other campaigns are referenced and calibrated, giving us key information on the evolution of key issues such as eutrophication, ocean acidification, ocean carbon storage and hypoxia. Despite (and potentially because of) the longevity of this way of observing the ocean through(?) organized hydrographic observations, represented within GOOS via the GO-SHIP programme, lacks formal presence in the EU Research infrastructure landscape and as a consequence many of the issues that confront European hydrographers including training, best practices and data are not systematically addressed and improved as they are in other RIs. In 2021 we initiated the EuroGO-SHIP project to rectify this with a major focus on addressing these gaps and formulating a concept for how a European component to the international GO-SHIP programme could exist within the EU RI landscape. This presentation will report on this project, highlighting key insights regarding how addressing these gaps can lead to a material improvement in our ability to measure and respond to key societal issues and how the services needed to do this can be sustained in the next generation of RI construction.
How to cite: Weber, R. and McDonagh, E.: EuroGO-SHIP: developing a concept for an ocean observing research infrastructure, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16525, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16525, 2025.
JERICO (The European Coastal Ocean Observing System) is a pan-European research infrastructure committed to observing, analyzing, understanding, and forecasting changes in coastal marine systems. It encompasses a wide range of scientific disciplines, including physical oceanography, biogeochemistry, marine biology, and hydrology. Its objective is to provide integrated solutions to address key scientific challenges related to climate change, anthropogenic pressures, extreme events, biodiversity loss and the sustainable management of coastal resources.
JERICO’s scientific vision is to create a coherent observation framework to enhance the understanding of coastal ecosystems by combining multidisciplinary data and innovative approaches. Its mission is based on delivering high-quality observations, FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data, and access to advanced services and technologies, while strengthening international scientific collaboration.
JERICO pushes the boundaries of science by integrating new interdisciplinary dimensions with a multiplatforms approach. This includes fixed and moving platforms with the development of real-time physical, biological and chemical observations (e.g., smart sensors, marine robots), the transition to systems fully compatible with artificial intelligence, and the design of environmentally friendly infrastructures. These advancements enable better monitoring of essential oceanic variables and support the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems within the framework of the European Green Deal.
The multidisciplinary impact of JERICO is significant. It builds bridges between marine, terrestrial, and atmospheric disciplines, addressing critical gaps in the European scientific landscape. It bridges coastal and open-ocean data, fostering synergies with existing RIs. To enhance coordination, JERICO established links with several RIs, including DANUBIUS, ICOS, EMBRC, and EMSO. These partnerships strengthen synergies, improve data interoperability, and support joint initiatives addressing coastal and environmental observation challenges.
How to cite: Delauney, L., Coppola, L., Durand, D., Bensoussan, N., Le Guen, A., Lefebvre, A., Cocquempot, L., Riou, P., and Epinoux, A.: JERICO - The pan-European Coastal Ocean Observing System, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11542, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11542, 2025.
The EC-funded iMagine project aims to revolutionise aquatic science research by providing open access to AI-powered image analysis tools and resources. Focused on the theme of "Healthy Oceans, Seas, Coastal and Inland Waters," iMagine addresses the growing need for efficient analysis of vast amounts of image data generated from diverse sources like underwater cameras, drones, microscopes, and satellites.
iMagine operates the iMagine AI Platform", a computational platform built upon the AI4OS framework and supported by AI4EOSC. Hosted on OpenStack clouds within the EGI e-Infrastructure Federation, the platform offers significant GPU and storage capacity to handle the dynamic needs of various research projects. It provides a complete suite of tools for the entire machine learning lifecycle, including image annotation, preprocessing, a deep learning model catalogue, model training and evaluation, and model inference for scientific end-users. This comprehensive approach facilitates collaboration and knowledge sharing between AI experts and aquatic science researchers.
The platform's core functionalities include:
- A generic computational platform supporting the development of AI-based image analysis services for the aquatic science community.
- Development of AI-based image analysis services addressing various scientific challenges within aquatic research.
- Provision of labelled image datasets, enabling AI models' training and retraining.
- Sharing of best practices, disseminating knowledge related to imaging data and AI-driven image analysis in aquatic sciences.
iMagine supports a diverse range of use cases, demonstrating the power of AI for image analysis in aquatic research. These use cases tackle critical issues including floating litter classification and quantification, plankton taxonomic identification, ecosystem statistics generation, oil spill movement and spread prediction, underwater audio data analysis to track vessel activity, and coral reef health monitoring.
The iMagine Competence Centre, consisting of AI experts, domain scientists, and image data owners, facilitates collaboration between use cases and platform providers. The Competence Centre organises regular meetings, training sessions, and feedback collection to refine AI models and ensure the development of robust online services for end-users.
To further enhance data quality, reproducibility, and scientific progress, iMagine adheres to best practices in data management, quality control, and model development. All use cases contribute to publicly available image datasets on Zenodo, allowing for model validation, retraining, and the development of new models. iMagine actively collaborates with other prominent projects like EOSC, AI4EU, and Blue-Cloud 2026 to maximise its impact and promote the broader adoption of AI-powered solutions within the aquatic science community.
How to cite: Fava, I., Sipos, G., Schaap, D., López García, Á., and Kozlov, V.: iMagine: AI-Powered Image Analysis for Aquatic Science, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11359, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11359, 2025.
Ocean Observing is essential to developing the scientific knowledge we need to assess ongoing changes in the ocean, their impact on climate, biodiversity and beyond and to take action. As the ocean is global, it requires a federated approach so that marine Research Infrastructures (MRI), organisations, researchers and stakeholders can work together to meet this major challenge. In Europe, the European Ocean Observing System (EOOS) framework aims to coordinate and integrate European communities and organisations operating, supporting and maintaining ocean observing infrastructures and activities, fostering collaboration and innovation. It brings Europe’s diverse ocean observing communities together to foster collaboration, strengthen coordination and integration, promote sustained ocean observing and understanding while attracting marine innovation and development.
Marine research infrastructures have been developed through European calls for tender and national funding over the last 20 years, but the lack of coordination and collaboration has resulted in a fragmented framework for effectively meeting EOOS objectives. To set the path towards a more unified and structured European Ocean Observing System, Horizon Europe has launched a series of call for the Consolidation of the RI landscape – development of complementarities, synergies and/or integration between a set of pan- European research infrastructures.
Horizon Europe has allocated more than €5 million to AMRIT - Advance Marine Research Infrastructure together - to strengthen operations at sea and support the development of the EOOS, drawing on the extensive experience and operational capabilities of Europe's established and project-based marine research infrastructures.
A functioning EOOS requires high-quality monitoring of activities, standardised tools to describe these activities (metadata) and support for the wide variety of operators. To do so, AMRIT will develop tools to support operators and facilitate the monitoring of their activities, maintained as part of AMRIT’s final product, the EOOS Technical Support Centre. It will centralise and harmonise metadata flows to provide a single, central access point for all ocean observation activities, improve data reliability, facilitate data use and optimise activities at sea.
How to cite: Mortier, L. and the The AMRIT Consortium: Advance Marine Research Infrastructures Together (AMRIT), EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19522, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19522, 2025.
The internet relies on submarine telecommunication cables that criss-cross our oceans, connecting countries and continents. Yet, the oceans remain among the most underexplored areas of our planet. The SUBMERSE project (SUBMarinE cables for ReSearch and Exploration) aims to utilise existing technologies to retrofit fibre optic cables as sensors for monitoring planetary processes beneath the waves, achieved by attaching fibre optic interrogators at landing stations.
Running for over two years, the project has achieved notable successes in developing innovative technologies and analytical techniques. These advancements have expanded the use of telecommunication cables for fibre sensing and enabled the creation of data products, primarily in geoscience and marine science.
For instance, we have developed an automated, machine-learning-based algorithm for analysing earthquake waveforms and measuring ocean surface gravity waves using seafloor Distributed Acoustic Sensor (DAS) recordings. Furthermore, new DAS technologies have been introduced, such as the ability to monitor relative temperature changes via submarine cable fibres. The project has also demonstrated the harmonious coexistence of DAS with active telecommunications traffic on the same fibre and successfully deployed state-of-polarisation (SOP) measurements synchronised with an atomic clock in one of the most remote locations in the world.
However, geopolitical events and incidents involving suspected targeting of critical submarine infrastructure have posed challenges to international data sharing. While adhering to the FAIR principles, we address the evolving complexities of sharing data that may contain sensitive information alongside valuable research content. To mitigate these risks, we have implemented robust AI software and processes to securely clear data for research purposes.
This presentation will detail the activities, achievements, and challenges of the SUBMERSE project, which strives to develop a pilot research instrument and provide a blueprint for continuous monitoring of Earth's systems across and between continents.
How to cite: Atherton, C., Tilmann, F., and Kvatadze, R. and the SUBMERSE Project Consortium: SUBMERSE: turning submarine telecommunications cables into planetary sensors., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6909, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6909, 2025.
The ENVRI-Hub, currently enhanced within the ENVRI-Hub NEXT project, is a transformative platform for integrating Environmental Research Infrastructures (ENVRIs) across four sub-domains: atmosphere, marine, terrestrial, and biodiversity. As a virtual gateway for a variety of ENVRIs - spanning from those in the ESFRI roadmap to several ERICs - the Hub supports streamlined discovery and access to multidisciplinary data, tools, services, knowledge, and training, thus providing a foundation for advancing evidence-based environmental research, policy, and governance. In this function, ENVRI-Hub NEXT was chosen by the ENVRI Science Cluster to act as the Cluster’s Open Science Competence Center (CLOCC) fulfilling the specifications defined by the Horizon Europe Project OSCARS.
This presentation explores the strategic role of the ENVRI-Hub in aligning RIs with European and global policy objectives, such as the European Green Deal, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the EOSC Federation (and upcoming Horizon Europe themes). By enabling discovery and access to harmonized datasets and, services to compute and Essential Environmental (e.g. Climate) Variables, the Hub provides policymakers and stakeholders with actionable insights to address pressing global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable resource management. Building on these efforts, the ENVRI Community has begun assessing the requirements for the development of an ENVRI EOSC thematic Node. The ENVRI EOSC Node would act as a dedicated gateway, connecting the ENVRI-Hub’s wealth of environmental data and services with the broader EOSC Federation to further strengthen collaborative efforts.
The ENVRI-Hub is more than a technical solution; it is envisaged to drive innovation in governance and policy frameworks. By fostering interoperability and adhering to FAIR principles, it ensures that environmental data and services are scientifically robust, accessible, and usable for decision-making. This integrated approach strengthens the links between science and policy, enabling more coordinated and impactful responses to environmental crises.
How to cite: Hienola, A., Bundke, U., Vermeulen, A., Adamaki, A., Gutierez, M., Drago, F., Brus, M., Bailo, D., Dema, C., and Zhao, Z.: ENVRI-Hub Advancing Integrated Environmental Research and Policy, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2813, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2813, 2025.
Addressing complex and interlinked environmental challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and socio-ecological transformations requires a collaborative, transdisciplinary, and data-driven approach. In response, the European Long-Term Ecosystem, critical zone and socio-ecological Research Infrastructure (eLTER RI) implements a 'whole system' approach at the continental scale. This presentation introduces eLTER RI as a platform for research based on long-term, high-resolution data collection across diverse ecosystems, enabling the disentanglement of fast disturbances such as storms, from slow-onset processes like climate warming. A central building block is the eLTER Standard Observations framework, which harmonises data collection across 65 variables on five ecosystem spheres (geo- & pedosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, socio-econosphere and lower atmosphere), major abiotic, biotic and socio-ecological characteristics and fluxes (matter, energy, water). The framework ensures consistency and comparability of data across sites, facilitating the development of large-scale data products and cross-site comparisons. Case studies, including the impacts of landscape management on pollinators and trends in benthic invertebrate populations caused by changing natural and anthropogenic pressures, demonstrate the value of standardised, long-term observations for understanding environmental processes and supporting continental-scale analyses. The presentation also addresses the challenges of upscaling site-specific observations to broader trends and the integration of socio-economic data to better understand human-environment interactions. By linking ecological and socio-economic factors, eLTER RI provides insights that inform evidence-based decision-making and policy development. Addressing scientists, infrastructure operators, data managers, policymakers, and stakeholders alike, we will highlight the critical role of integrated research infrastructures in advancing environmental science and tackling pressing global challenges.
How to cite: Mirtl, M. and Bäck, J.: eLTER RI as integrative and collaborative framework enabling multi- and transdisciplinary research in terrestrial, freshwater and transitional water ecosystems, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-12217, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-12217, 2025.
The polar regions, characterized by their extreme environments and critical role in global climate systems, present unique challenges for scientific research. Addressing the complexities of these areas requires not only advanced research infrastructures (RI) but also collaborative frameworks that bridge the Arctic and Antarctic. POLARIN stands at the forefront of this effort, fostering integrated access to polar RIs and facilitating multidisciplinary research.
This presentation highlights how POLARIN enhances the availability and coordination of polar RI, building on lessons learned from international initiatives such as INTERACT and ARICE. By streamlining proposal processes, harmonizing data collection standards, and implementing FAIR data principles, POLARIN supports a cohesive and efficient approach to polar research.
Case studies will be showcased to demonstrate the real-world application of POLARIN’s integrated RI framework, illustrating its role in facilitating studies on diverse topics such as climate change, ice dynamics, and biodiversity. These examples underscore the value of POLARIN in breaking down logistical and disciplinary barriers, enabling scientists to conduct comprehensive, collaborative research with greater reach and impact.
We also discuss the challenges encountered, including the need for sustainable funding. Future perspectives will be presented, outlining steps to enhance transnational access and training opportunities to strengthen polar sciences.
How to cite: Willmott Puig, V. and Biebow, N.: From Pole to Pole: Integrating Research Infrastructures with POLARIN, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1305, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1305, 2025.
Today there is severe lack of in situ observations in the Arctic Ocean which are needed to understand the physical, biogeochemical, and ecological processes and support the development of ocean forecasting services. These services will be important as ship traffic, tourism and other marine industries develop in the region. To sustain long-term observations in the Arctic, robust platforms equipped with autonomous sensors are required to collect high-quality measurements in the whole water column from the seafloor to the sea ice surface. In the present HiAOOS project, we demonstrate the integration of different observing systems in the central Arctic Ocean, including ice-based observatories with subsurface instruments, floats drifting under the ice, and bottom-anchored ocean moorings with oceanographic, acoustic sources and hydrophones. The HiAOOS observations will be used for research on sea ice, physical oceanography, ocean acoustics, marine ecosystems, and geohazards (e.g.detection of earthquakes). The acoustic transmissions will be used for geo-positioning of floats, and acoustic thermometry . Collaboration between subsea industry and ocean research communities will be further developed and plans for IPY 2033-34 will be outlined.
How to cite: Sagen, H.: An overview of the High Arctic Ocean Observation System (HiAOOS), EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-5979, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-5979, 2025.
River networks are interconnected systems comprising streams, rivers, floodplains, and groundwater bodies. They are highly sensitive to multiple pressures on global, regional, and local scales. Changes within these systems do not only compromise ecosystem integrity and functionality but also jeopardize critical ecosystem services and water resource availability, with significant societal consequences.
DANUBIUS Austria aims to establish a network of advanced river observatories in the Upper Danube River catchment to generate high-resolution, long-term biogeochemical and biological data. These observatories will enable the analysis of long-term trends and short-term fluctuations in surface water and coupled surface–groundwater systems driven by global change. Mechanistic understanding of how climate change, land-use intensification, and local human activities affect biogeochemical fluxes and aquatic ecosystem processes will be enhanced by this network.
DANUBIUS Austria focuses on two key observational regions: (1) the pre-alpine Ybbs River network to investigate system changes across altitude and land-use gradients, and (2) the Danube main stem and its adjacent floodplains within the Danube Floodplain National Park to examine lateral and vertical exchange processes, matter fluxes, and morphodynamics. Observational sites in these regions will be equipped with advanced instruments for automated, high-frequency monitoring of environmental, morphological, hydrochemical, and biological parameters, including nutrients, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and suspended sediment flux, along with optical analyses of dissolved organic matter (DOM) using automated water sampling systems. These sites will be supported by field surveys, experiments, and laboratory analyses, emphasizing changes in organic carbon cycling and microbial responses to stressors. Additionally, data management and dissemination systems, along with protocols for operation, strategies, and data utilization, will be developed and implemented.
The scientific vision of DANUBIUS Austria is to provide innovative and internationally relevant insights into aquatic ecosystems within the pre-alpine Upper Danube catchment. This knowledge will support the sustainable management of river systems and associated water resources. The infrastructure will be integrated into the pan-European “European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures” (ESFRI) research framework DANUBIUS-RI as the “Upper Danube Austria and pre-alpine network of tributaries” supersite.
How to cite: Bondar-Kunze, E., Michelitsch, S.-S., Hayes, D. S., Cehajic, N., Liedermann, M., Habersack, H., Griebler, C., Weigelhofer, G., and Hein, T.: DANUBIUS Austria: Advancing River Observatory Networks to Explore Aquatic Ecosystem Dynamics in the Upper Danube, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20178, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20178, 2025.
Environmental challenges, such as pollution, land-use transformations, climate change and their consequences on biodiversity and ecosystem stability, represent some of the most urgent issues facing society today.
Given the complexity of such problems, a multi-disciplinary approach to the Earth System is essential to provide quantitative knowledge to be translated into concrete, efficient, timely and applicable strategies. This approach involves integrating and combining field observations, experimental activities in the laboratory, data analysis and modelling tools across different environmental domains, with Research Infrastructures (RIs) playing a crucial role in delivering the systematic and coherent information required for high-level research.
According to the National Research Infrastructure Plan (PNIR) 2021 - 2027, Italy actively participates in the main pan-European environmental RIs and hosts numerous RIs of national relevance, occupying a privileged position to make a significant contribution in the environmental domain. In fact, in Italy, RIs in the environmental domain account for 17% of the total including European, global and national RIs.
However, the diversity and variety of these RIs requires coordinated efforts to foster their integration, connection and harmonisation in order to maximise their impact on environmental research and sustainability strategies.
To achieve this coordination and build a unified framework for environmental research in Italy, 22 RIs have joined forces under the ITINERIS (Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructure System) thematic network. ITINERIS focuses on facilitating the observation and study of Earth system processes across the atmosphere, marine, terrestrial biosphere, and geosphere domains.
A key aspect of ITINERIS is the ITINERIS HUB, a single access point that integrates and expands the array of resources available in the catalogues across the participating RIs, enhance accessibility, and foster multidisciplinary collaborations among the scientific community and various public and private stakeholders, nationally and internationally.
This study presents a comprehensive analysis of existing RI resource catalogues, evaluating their structure, scope, and criteria for resource selection.
The analysis assesses consistency, identifies gaps and overlaps, and evaluates the metadata schemas and search functionality of the catalogues to ensure harmonisation into the ITINERIS HUB.
The analysis provides a detailed resource mapping of each RI, highlighting alignment with the resource categories defined by ITINERIS, such as providers, services, datasets, research products, training resources and virtual research environments (VREs). The maturity and accessibility of resources are assessed using standardised metrics and visualized through tabular and visual formats, including radar charts, providing a clear overview of the current status of each catalogue.
Results of this study show a considerable variability in the maturity levels of the RIs' catalogues: some have fully developed and resource-rich catalogues, others have partial catalogues with a limited number of resources, while some are still in the early stages of development or have no entries at all.
This systematic analysis identifies gaps and proposes targeted solutions for better integration and harmonisation in the ITINERIS HUB, paving the way for a more cohesive, efficient and accessible research ecosystem.
Acknowledgement: the research has been funded by EU - Next Generation EU Mission 4, Component 2 - CUP B53C22002150006 - Project IR0000032 – ITINERIS - Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructures System
How to cite: Saganeiti, L., Palazzo, Q., Gargano, G., and Cornacchia, C.: Towards Harmonised Environmental Research: The Role of ITINERIS in Integrating Italian Research Infrastructures, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11130, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11130, 2025.
The European Network for Earth System Modelling Research Infrastructure (ENES-RI) is a
cornerstone of climate science, providing essential datasets for understanding and
addressing climate change. However, the growing complexity and volume of climate model
datasets pose challenges that demand innovative, interdisciplinary solutions. To address
these challenges, "ENES-RI" is being integrated into the Framework of Integrated Research
Infrastructure Services for Climate Change Risks (IRISCC), establishing a unified ecosystem
of Research Infrastructures for data access, processing, and analysis.
This integration introduces three key advancements:
1. Harmonized data access and authentication: Federated systems ensure secure,
standardized global access while maintaining data integrity and compliance with
management policies.
2. Data-proximate processing services: On-site data analysis minimizes large-scale
transfers, improving efficiency, and supporting high-performance workflows.
3. An integrated services platform leveraging JupyterHub: This platform combines
streamlined data access, computational tools, and visualization capabilities enabling
collaborative and interdisciplinary research across diverse domains.
A central objective is to incorporate ENES-RI into the IRISCC services catalog, enabling
seamless discovery and utilization of distributed climate research resources. This effort
fosters collaboration, streamlines workflows, and addresses challenges in managing large-
scale climate data. Practical use cases illustrate how this framework empowers researchers
to conduct advanced climate risk assessments and contribute to global mitigation efforts.
This integration represents a pivotal advance toward a more efficient, collaborative, and
impactful research ecosystem for addressing climate change.
How to cite: Khan, I. and Kindermann, Dr. S.: Streamlining Climate Model Data Access: Integrating ENES-RI into the IRISCC Framework for Climate Change Risks Research, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18651, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18651, 2025.
The Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructures System (ITINERIS) project is building the Italian Hub of Research Infrastructures (RI) and aims to facilitate the coordinated provision of wide, streamlined access to data and services from the national nodes of 22 RIs across the atmosphere, marine domain, terrestrial biosphere, and geosphere domains.
A significant effort is being made to harmonize the access practices across the participating RIs to ensure that all users can experience uniform, simplified and efficient access to the wider and integrated set of advanced RIs’ services.
An analysis of current access policies and practices confirmed that RIs in ITINERIS share many aspects, largely because they follow the EU Charter of Access to Research Infrastructures and are mostly funded by the EU. However, some noticeable differences were identified, for instance, in the cases of ACTRIS (Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure) and ECORD (European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling), where harmonization poses both an opportunity and a challenge.
Access in ACTRIS is centrally managed by the Service and Access Management Unit (SAMU) of the Head Office and is provided following user request in response to a standard or rolling call. User requests undergo a selection process, which consists of 3 steps of review based on eligibility (by the SAMU), feasibility (by the provider), and scientific merit (by external experts). Special procedures streamline the process in particular cases, depending on the type of user (private sector users, public authorities, international networks) or the contingent situation (exceptional situations and extreme events requiring researchers to conduct essential experiments, measurements, or analyses).
ECORD, a distributed RI in the geosphere domain, operates as an independent consortium of 15 members with a centralized management structure and as a member of the International Ocean Drilling Programme (IODP3). Its access model reflects this dual nature: drilling and legacy assets proposal submission is not subject to membership; access to expeditions is merit-based and weighted against the annual quota of the national member; access to training services is excellence-driven and subject to the membership fee; access to research grants and scholarships is an excellence-driven initiative for ECORD-based early-career scientists; upon request, access to samples/data after the expiration of the moratorium period is wide, unrelated to membership, and free of charge.
Given this heterogeneous context, the development of a shared Access Management Plan, which provides for harmonized access practices and a national framework for access for the ITINERIS RIs, is based on enhancing common principles and elements in the processes. The plan is meant to integrate the persisting differences, which stem from the unique characteristics of the various infrastructures, access methods, and services provided, into a common and non-conflicting scheme. The harmonized process is articulated in: user application, eligibility and feasibility confirmation, and expert evaluation.
Acknowledgement: the research has been funded by EU - Next Generation EU Mission 4, Component 2 - CUP B53C22002150006 - Project IR0000032 – ITINERIS - Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructures System
How to cite: Iadanza, A., Petracca Altieri, R. M., Camerlenghi, A., Gagliardi, S., and Cornacchia, C.: Harmonizing Access to Research Infrastructures: Insights from ACTRIS and ECORD within the ITINERIS Project, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-12642, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-12642, 2025.
In a global scenario marked by polycrises, environmental challenges are increasingly intertwined with social and economic issues, exacerbated by geopolitical instability. Climate change, environmental degradation, and resource depletion demand innovative and coordinated solutions supported by robust and accessible research tools. Research Infrastructures (RIs), as envisioned by ESFRI, play a pivotal role in addressing these interconnected challenges by fostering innovation, advancing science, and providing high-quality research services. To maximize their societal and scientific impact, a dynamic, user-driven strategy is essential for effectively engaging a broad and diverse user community.
The ITINERIS project—an Italian initiative to create an integrated environmental research infrastructure system across atmospheric, marine, terrestrial, and geospheric domains—aims to strengthen the role of Italian RIs in addressing global environmental challenges. Through an innovative, user-centric approach, ITINERIS enhances accessibility, fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration, and ensures alignment with European standards such as the FAIR principles and the European charter for access to research infrastructures. This effort seeks to establish a model for how RIs can address pressing environmental and societal challenges.
This contribution focuses on the preliminary activities for the development of the ITINERIS user strategy. A comprehensive analysis of user needs and the maturity level of participating RIs in terms of user engagement and access policies has been implemented through a rigorous methodological approach—including empirical surveys, stakeholder consultations, and desk research—to serve as the basis for the strategy. Results highlight the current state of user strategies and access frameworks across ITINERIS partners. The findings reveal significant opportunities for harmonizing methods, enhancing data accessibility, fostering collaboration across diverse scientific and industrial sectors and mostly to understand the future directions of environmental research based on the evolving user needs. Periodic enhancement of the user profiles and detailed categorizations of user demands will help further future development and customization of services, effective standardized procedures for physical, remote, and virtual access ensuring equity and efficiency in resource utilization, and improved satisfaction. Ultimately, the development of a digital platform offering access to data, tools, and facilities will directly contribute to the achievement of user strategy outcomes by ensuring that ITINERIS effectively addresses the evolving needs of the environmental research community, promoting seamless interdisciplinary research and maximizing the impact of its research infrastructure. Innovative strategies are also being implemented to enhance RI accessibility for the Third Sector, schools, and municipalities.
These outcomes underscore the importance of a user-driven approach as a foundational element for the long-term sustainability of RIs and for maximizing their societal value.
ITINERIS’ achievements not only provide a blueprint for advancing environmental research but also highlight the potential of RIs to drive transformative change. By paving the way for an integrated, efficient, and responsive environmental research ecosystem, ITINERIS demonstrates how integrated infrastructures can support cutting-edge science, inform policymaking, and contribute to a sustainable future.
Acknowledgement: the research has been funded by EU - Next Generation EU Mission 4, Component 2 - CUP B53C22002150006 - Project IR0000032 – ITINERIS - Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructures System.
Keywords: Research Infrastructures, Environmental Challenges, ITINERIS, User Strategy, Sustainability, Access Policies, Integrated Research, Decision Support.
How to cite: Loperte, S., Gagliardi, S., Gargano, G., Petracca Altieri, R. M., Ricciardi, F., Russo, C., and Cornacchia, C.: Towards a comprehensive user strategy for Integrated Research Infrastructures advancing environmental science: Insights from the ITINERIS project, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19387, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19387, 2025.
AQUARIUS is a four-year Horizon Europe-funded project providing transnational access to a comprehensive and diverse suite of integrated research infrastructures. The project will run from March 2024 - February 2028.
AQUARIUS will target and support research and innovation activities that contribute to the objectives, regional scope and implementation of the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030.’ The Mission Implementation Plan has informed the thematic (Mission objectives) and geographic (Mission Lighthouse regions) scope of AQUARIUS. Two Super Integration Calls will be launched throughout the project. The first call (now closed) targeted themes and scientific challenges of each of the four lighthouse regions. The second call (open from 2 September – 28 October 2025) will be adapted to the outcomes of the first call and focus on new emerging issues.
The impressive catalogue of 57 research infrastructures available include: research vessels, mobile marine observation platforms (autonomous underwater and surface vehicles, gliders, remotely operated vehicles, and ferry boxes), aircraft, drones, satellite services, fixed freshwater and marine observatories, experimental facilities, and data infrastructures.
AQUARIUS will also provide scientific & technical training together with training on data management and stewardship and virtual access and analytics. Floating universities, summer school courses and marine internships for early career scientists will be organized as well as webinars, videos and other training materials. All training materials will be shared on the AQUARIUS online training repository.
AQUARIUS will implement best practices in open science & open data making all data FAIR. Scientific teams will be invited to make use of the Blue-Cloud Virtual Research Environment and all metadata & data will become part of the leading European & global data infrastructures such as EMODnet, Copernicus and EOSC.
More details about the AQUARIUS Transnational Access, the application process and training opportunities will be presented during the presentation.
How to cite: Ní Chonghaile, B., Fitzgerald, A., Strobel, A., and McMeel, O.: AQUARIUS - integrating research infrastructures - connecting scientists - enabling transnational access for healthy and sustainable marine and freshwater ecosystems, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2542, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2542, 2025.
The EXCITE² Network integrates 19 cutting-edge research facilities across 12 European and associated countries, offering transnational access to advanced imaging and analytical technologies, including electron and X-ray microscopy, spectroscopy, and data processing. This infrastructure enables researchers to address key environmental challenges, such as sustainable resource extraction, environmental toxicity, and climate change mitigation.
EXCITE²’s Transnational Access (TA) program follows a structured, transparent process that includes multiple phases: preparatory, proposal submission, review, operational, and reporting. The TA process ensures that researchers from diverse backgrounds, including early-career scientists and those from underrepresented regions, can access world-class facilities. Proposals undergo rigorous peer review, with priority given to scientific excellence, technical feasibility, and inclusivity. The Facility Access System (FAST) manages all aspects of the workflow, from call advertisement to proposal evaluation and execution, ensuring efficiency and equal opportunity.
This contribution will showcase EXCITE²’s progress in fostering international collaboration, its adoption of innovative services such as remote access and AI-driven imaging, and its commitment to open science and FAIR data principles. Additionally, key case studies and lessons learned from implementing the TA program will be presented, offering insights into how structured transnational access can drive innovation and tackle complex environmental challenges.
How to cite: ter Maat, G., Wessels, R., van der Poel, S., and Plümper, O.: Integrating Advanced Research Infrastructures for Environmental Challenges: Insights from EXCITE²’s Transnational Access Program , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11250, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11250, 2025.
LifeWatch ERIC provides integrated solutions for current constraints and impediments which negatively affect biodiversity and ecosystem research, such as the pressing need for increasingly diverse, open and FAIR compliant data, advanced models, reproducible analytical services and other research products. It also creates the collaborative and democratic research space in the form of the Virtual Research Environments (VREs) to host the above products.
To this end, LifeWatch ERIC has developed advanced tools and technologies, like MyLifeWatch, the LifeBlock (blockchain-based service) for the integration and traceability of research resources and products; discovery, access and provenance; implementation of FAIR principles.
NaaVRE (Notebook as a Virtual REsearch Environment) and Tesseract are additional novel and innovative technologies to build customizable Virtual Labs in the distributed Cloud infrastructure.
LifeWatch ERIC has played a leading role in the ENVRI community from the first initiatives since 2011. It supported the development of the ENVRI Reference Model describing the entire data management cycle and currently contributes to the ENVRIHubNext project by offering user training and skills as well as stakeholder engagement. Through its partner University of Amsterdam, LifeWatch ERIC contributes to the construction of the ENVRI Knowledge base and advanced search engine.
In the OSCARS project where several clusters of European (ESFRI) Research Infrastructures collaborate, LifeWatch ERIC represents the ENVRI cluster in building up the Cluster Competence Centers.
The challenges of LifeWatch ERIC are manifold. Although firmly established, the constant need for collaboration with our ENVRI partners is essential to offer holistic and interdisciplinary solutions to environmental research. Long term funding is a constant challenge in this period of political uncertainty for the science and its impacts on policy and society. New emerging technologies like AI are needed to be implemented to keep up with technological standards. This can only be done in a concerted way with the allies in ENVRI, to support Environmental Science and policy in the best possible way, considering the big societal challenges like for instance climate change, biodiversity loss, food security and health.
We will discuss these challenges, offer possible ways forward and ways to further engage with the ENVRI community and policy makers at the European level on opportunities for sustainable future cooperation.
How to cite: Konijn, J., Arvanitidis, C., and Zhao, Z.: The role and challenges of LifeWatch ERIC in the European Environmental Research Infrastructure landscape. , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-12663, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-12663, 2025.
Air pollution persists as a major urban pressure for citizens, in conjunction with climate change impacts on health and the environment. Following the latest WHO recommendations for air quality (2009), the European Union has now revised the Ambient Air Quality Directive, introducing -among others- the monitoring of emerging pollutants, such as ultrafine particles, black carbon and the volatile organic compounds. The human power of the observational platforms of the key European atmospheric networks (e.g. ACTRIS, ICOS) has long-term experience and expertise in dealing with these pollutants. The trans-national access of public authorities to this knowledge and infrastructure is key to unlock their potential to meet the emerging official obligations. This case study has been based on a systematic effort to explore user needs and provider capacities with respect to the atmospheric environment, as surveilled by the authorities and studied by the research community in Europe. The liaison between key stakeholder and observational networks, in the frame of the ATMO-ACCESS project, has enabled the identification of user requirements and of provider opportunities, as well as the favorable modalities of access. The study culminated in a targeted, trans-national series of remote training activities, which accommodated more than 100 participants representing around 70 public authorities around the globe. Insights and lessons learned from the yearlong engagement process and the dedicated pilot implementation will be shared during the conference.
How to cite: Athanasopoulou, E., Dubost, A., Wenger, J., and Philippin, S.: A pilot to showcase the interaction of National public authorities with the European Atmospheric Research Facilities, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20393, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20393, 2025.
Recent technological advancements enable the use of fiber optic submarine cables as sustainable environmental research infrastructure complementing the existing ENVRI community with a deep ocean component. Submarine communication cables can cover large distances across remote areas, making them ideal platforms to collect environmental and scientific data from the deep ocean. Here, we will show how present and future fiber optic sensing technologies (such as Distributed Acoustic Sensing DAS across repeaters, SMART repeaters, and quantum sensing) can facilitate multidisciplinary research by opening a multitude of novel environmental monitoring and research opportunities in the fields of oceanography, geophysics, marine biology, and climate studies. Fiber optic sensing can for instance improve early warning systems for natural hazards, provide oceanographic data on ocean currents, water properties, and ocean turbulence to feed numerical climate and weather models, and serve as a tool for marine mammal tracking.
On the example of Polar Connect, we will present the status and development of a future integrated infrastructure in the Arctic Ocean. Polar Connect is an international cooperation with the goal of building a submarine communication cable system between Northern Europe and East Asia – on the shortest possible path across the Arctic Ocean. Utilising technological advancements, Polar Connect will in a collaborative effort enable the sustainable collection of year-around, long-term, real-time environmental data in the Central Arctic Ocean. An important part of Polar Connect is to ensure data management of the collected environmental data, utilising standardised formats, and FAIR data principles while providing the needed security and restrictions. Please contact us to contribute to shaping future sensing on Polar Connect. The Polar Connect developments are co-funded by the European Union through the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF2 Digital) funded projects ‘North Pole Fiber’ (22-EU-DIG-NPF) and ‘Polar Connect Step 1’ (23-EU-DIG-PC1).
How to cite: Muchowski, J., Schjelderup, O., Friberg, M., and Bos, E.-J.: Sensing on Fiber Optic Submarine Cables – Opportunities within Polar Connect , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-21509, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-21509, 2025.
Urban drainage systems (UDS) are critical man-made infrastructures that directly interface with natural aquatic systems and control and convey wastewater and stormwater to both centralised and distributed facilities where they can be safely treated, reused whenever possible, or returned to the natural environment. UDS are crucial for protecting public health by limiting contact between people and pathogens, and for safely managing stormwater, reducing pollutants’ impact and urban flooding risks. However, urban settlements around the world face major urban drainage challenges: aging and deteriorating infrastructures, pathogens and other emergent pollutants entering streets and properties via sewer flooding, and natural surface waters being contaminated and their ecological status degraded by sewer overflows and contaminated surface runoff. These challenges are aggravated by global trends such as rapid urbanisation and climate change.
In this changing environment, more innovation and research are urgently needed to tackle these challenges, and large-scale research infrastructures (RIs) are essential to test, validate, and replicate new and effective, ground-breaking approaches. As water utilities, authorities and practitioners have traditionally been cautious innovation adopters, full or near-full scale testing has become essential to support and mainstream innovative solutions.
Co-UDlabs is a H2020-INFRAIA project that has developed Europe’s first network of RIs in the field of urban drainage systems. Launched in 2021, the project has successfully conducted 31 Transnational Access (TAs) projects across 16 large-scale field and laboratory facilities and seven different European research infrastructure providers. Co-UDlabs TA programme has involved more than 220 user-group members from 26 different countries and over 120 research and institutions and stakeholders, with industry users making up 33% of all participants.
By showcasing early and consolidated results of the studies conducted in its TA programme, Co-UDlabs will show how research network synergies and cooperation can allow researchers, utility providers, local governments, and regulators with access and control over all UDS processes and stages. These results include insights from UD processes such rainfall-runoff, surface wash-off, stormwater infiltration and evapotranspiration, wastewater collection systems, and their interactions with urban surfaces and soils, as well as the operation of infrastructure such as pipelines, pumping stations, overflow structures, and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS).
The TA programme and its collaborative framework were complemented by tailored research activities aimed at strengthening quality and quantity of UDS services offered at the European level. These activities shed light and developed innovative approaches to asset deterioration through machine-learning techniques, long-term resilience and sustainability of UDS via more robust, autonomous, and interconnected smart monitoring techniques and digital water data analysis tools. Co-UDlabs also began building a set of harmonised and replicable access tools to data collected in project activities, all consistent with established FAIR data principles. This presentation will cover all aspects above — RI accessibility, scientific cooperation, and data-based community-building — to show how crucial cross-institution and multidisciplinary synergies across research infrastructures will be when addressing key challenges of the present and the near future.
How to cite: Anta, J., Bertrand-Krajewski, J.-L., Brelot, E., Brüggemann, T., Clemens-Meyer, F. H. L. R., Moreno-Rodenas, A. M., Nielsen, J. E., Rieckermann, J., and Tait, S.: Co-UDlabs project: collaborative Research Infrastructures research and innovation in the field of urban drainage, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18839, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18839, 2025.
ReMade@ARI (REcyclable MAterials DEvelopment at Analytical Research Infrastructures) is a Horizon Europe project, which offers comprehensive analytical services for research focusing on the development of new materials for the circular economy [1]. In contrast to the currently dominating linear economy, in which materials are taken from the Earth, turned into products and thrown away as waste at the end of their life, the circular economy aims to design products that are more durable, reusable, repairable and recyclable.
In order to address this challenge, the most significant European analytical research infrastructures have joined forces in the ReMade@ARI project to provide a support hub for materials research focused on exploring the properties and structures of recyclable materials.
ReMade@ARI offers coordinated access to over 50 research infrastructures across Europe, including electron microscopy facilities, synchrotrons, free electron lasers, neutron sources, high magnetic field laboratories and ion or positron beam facilities. An application for complementary measurements at various facilities is possible within one proposal, providing a simplified path for access in the form of interdisciplinary and correlative research. For proposal submission, an easy-to-use application portal is used for proposals from both academic and industrial users.
Assistance provided by the project ReMade@ARI goes far beyond infrastructure access. ReMade@ARI also offers advanced scientific support for users throughout their entire projects – and beyond! Senior scientists, facility experts and young researchers contribute scientific knowledge and extensive support to provide user services [2]. Particular attention is given to the implementation of comprehensive support mechanisms for researchers and developers from industry [3]. For industrial users, ReMade@ARI also provides grants, as well as fast-track experiments (dedicated for small and medium enterprises) to provide them with technical expertise from research and technology organisations for challenging problems.
The offer of ReMade@ARI is complemented by a series of workshops and training events to help circular economy researchers, aiming to develop and improve their skills in instruments and techniques offered within the project.
References:
[1] remade-project.eu
[2] sciencesupport@remade-project.eu (for scientific support)
[3] industry@remade-project.eu (for industrial support)
How to cite: Facsko, S.: ReMade@ARI: a hub for materials research for the circular economy, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-5753, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-5753, 2025.
Posters virtual: Thu, 1 May, 14:00–15:45 | vPoster spot 2
EGU25-11716 | Posters virtual | VPS29
DANUBIUS-RI, The International Centre for Advanced Studies on River-Sea Systems: An RI for the river-sea challenges of the 21st CenturyThu, 01 May, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | vP2.6
As a pioneering pan-European distributed research infrastructure, DANUBIUS-RI is unique to Europe and the international community, focused on interdisciplinary research on River-Sea systems. At a time of unprecedented environmental and climate driven change, it is critical we understand the influence of land-sea interactions on coastal and ocean areas, how these will change with the intensification of extreme events and seek sustainable climate adaptation solutions. DANUBIUS-RI is a trans-disciplinary research gateway, enabling land-sea researchers with access to data, expertise, training and key study sites, along with their associated local assets.
DANUBIUS-RI responds to the following major Research Priorities to assess:
- Water Quantity: water stores and flows across River-Sea continua for sustainable water resource management and mitigate against extreme events.
- Sediment Balance: sediment dynamics in source-to-sink systems, to support sustainable sediment management.
- Nutrients and Pollutants: independent and combined effects of nutrients and pollutants (in both water and sediments) at River-Sea System scales, to establish the critical thresholds needed for tracking progress towards good status.
- Climate Change: ongoing impacts of Climate Change, and improve adaptation measures within and across River-Sea Systems.
- Extreme Events: extreme event occurrence and impact severity on River-Sea Systems, for floods and droughts, to support cost-effective nature-based solution development, disaster mitigation, and management.
- Protecting and Restoring Ecosystems and Biodiversity: how changing River-Sea Systems affect future ecosystem service provision, and their sustainability. Understand the relationship between biodiversity and connectivity across River-Sea Systems and its response to multiple stressors and support climate adaptation.
- Digital Twin: and build high resolution, multi-dimensional digital representations of River-Sea Systems, that stakeholders.
Besides access to Open and FAIR Data, DANUBIUS_RI provides key interdisciplinary services encompassing in situ measurement, satellite EO observations, numerical modelling and management scenario development.
The Services are grouped in 7 major categories, working with you or on your behalf:
- Digital and non-digital data, including metadata, data and archived samples .
- Tools, methods and expert support, including access to facilities and equipment.
- Measurement and analytical support, including physical, chemical, biological, biogeochemical, ecotoxicological, hydromorphological, sedimentological, and bathymetric sampling and analyses.
- Diagnosis and Impact, through modelling and impact assessment analysesthat harness data from previous or expected results (diagnostic) or through forecasts and ‘what if’ scenarios (from models).
- Solution Development, connecting you with the right partners across wide-ranging scientific expertise to develop solutions for your specific challenges.
- Tests, Audit, Validation and Certification: We validate and quality assure outputs, and provide DANUBIUS Commons accreditation and Accredited Service Providers certification services.
- Build capacity through the design/co-design, development and delivery of training courses for companies, innovators, authorities and researchers in the four areas of expertise (Observation, Analysis, Modelling, and Impact), and partner with you to organize bespoke conferences and workshops to address River-Sea System challenges.
The Research Infrastructure, accepted on the ESFRI Roadmap in 2016, is expected to become an operational ERIC during 2025.
How to cite: Stanica, A., Tyler, A., Scarrott, R., and Consortium, D. R. I.: DANUBIUS-RI, The International Centre for Advanced Studies on River-Sea Systems: An RI for the river-sea challenges of the 21st Century , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11716, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11716, 2025.
