On November 13, 2025, the IDEATION project took centre stage at the European Big Data Value Forum (EBDVF) 2025 during the high-level session “From Inland to Ocean: Leveraging IDEATION & AquaINFRA to Support the EU Digital Twin Ocean.” Hosted at DGI Byen in Copenhagen, the session brought together experts, innovators, and policymakers to explore the crucial role of inland waters in shaping the future of Europe’s Digital Twin Ocean (DTO).

The European Union’s Missions — Adaptation to Climate Change and Restore Our Ocean and Waters — call for stronger predictive capabilities, improved resilience, and science-driven solutions for protecting marine and freshwater ecosystems. Achieving these ambitions requires cutting-edge digital infrastructures capable of transforming vast, heterogeneous environmental data into actionable intelligence.

The European Digital Twin of the Ocean represents this next generation of innovation. Integrating marine and freshwater datasets with advanced modelling and AI-based analytics, the DTO enables real-time insights, scenario simulations, and evidence-based decision-making to address climate impacts, biodiversity loss, and sustainable blue economy challenges.

During the EBDVF 2025 session, Gerasimos Antzoulatos (CERTH), Arne Jørgen Berre (SINTEF Digital), and Cetaqua – Water Technology Centre presented the latest results from the IDEATION and AquaINFRA projects. Their discussion highlighted how connecting inland water systems with marine digital frameworks can significantly enhance the predictive power and usability of the EU DTO.

Key points included:

• Bridging freshwater and marine data flows to build a more comprehensive and interoperable water knowledge system.

• Integrating Digital Twin technologies to support water resource planning, hazard forecasting, and ecosystem protection.

• Showcasing project outcomes that demonstrate how inland-to-ocean connectivity accelerates Europe’s digital water transformation.

Participants engaged in a lively exchange about the opportunities that Digital Twins bring to environmental management, reinforcing the strategic relevance of inland water inclusion in Europe’s digital ocean vision.

The session underscored the pivotal role of IDEATION and AquaINFRA in contributing to the European DTO, offering tools and frameworks that enhance scientific, policy, and industry decision-making.