Archives: Partners

Short name: PLOCAN

Contact name: Eric Delory

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Brief Description of Organisation:

The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) is a multipurpose service centre with landbased and sea-based novel infrastructures to support research, technology development and innovation in the marine and maritime sectors. Its mission is to promote long-term observation and sustainability of the ocean, providing a cost-effective combination of services, such as an observatory, a test site, a base for underwater vehicles, training and an innovation hub. PLOCAN is a joint initiative of the Spanish and the Canary Islands governments, with the help of the European Regional Development Fund, whose main objective is to build and operate a fixed offshore platform that will be located both close to the coast and near the edge of the continental shelf, in shallow waters. It will have a net surface of around 2,500 m2 of research capacity, space for laboratories, instrumented containers and capacity to permanently accommodate researchers distributed in a multistore building with a main dock of 1,000 m2.

The PLOCAN managing team and technical staff have a broad experience in the preparation, management and development of large national and international projects in the marine and maritime sectors and are currently coordinating European projects in the fields of offshore platforms and marine observation. In addition PLOCAN is configured as a Marine Test Site where projects focused on testing and demonstrating of all kinds of marine devices are performed. These include mainly marine renewable energy converters but also submarine and surface autonomous vehicles, fixed buoys and marine observatories, profilers, sensors, etc.

JERICO-S3: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

Leader of WP7 – Technological Innovation – (Tasks 7.1, 7.2, 7.3) WP8: PLOCAN coastal facilities and test site offered for access, WP1/Task 1.1: Link to WP7 and participation in joint meetings/workshops

Relevant Projects- previous and existing:

The PLOCAN managing team and staff have extensive experience in the development and management of large national and international projects in the marine and maritime sector such as CANIGO (4th FP), ANIMATE (5th FP), MERSEA (6th FP), EuroSITES (7th FP), TROPOS (7th FP), NeXOS (7th FP), FIX03 (7th FP), AtlantOS (H2020), EMSO-Link (H2020).

Short name: PdE

Contact name:  Enrique Alvarez

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Brief Description of Organisation:

Puertos del Estado is the Spanish Government Agency (dependent of the Ministry of Public Works), responsible for the coordination and efficiency control of the state-owned Spanish Port System (it includes 46 ports managed by 28 Port Authorities). 


By means of the own-managed operational oceanographic system, the Physical Environment Area provides to the port system, the society and other stakeholding institutions with met-ocean data essential for reducing costs, increasing efficiency and sustainability and ensuring safety in routine port operations. Puertos del Estado employs more than 143 multidisciplinary skilled people, with a turnover in 215 of roughly 34 million euros.

JERICO-S3: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

Puertos del Estafo will contribute directly with man/months and/or its observing/modelling/data services infrastructures to WP’s

WP3: IRS: it will contribute to the Iberian Peninsula IRS lead by IH, with up to 6HF radars (including 3 in the Strait of Gibraltar), 5 multi-parametric buoys and 12 tide gauges in the region. It will as well contribute with regional/coastal/harbour scale models operational in the area.

WP4: PSS: task 4.3, subtask 4.3.1: Pilot Supersite at North-West Mediterranean, with HF radar at Ebro delta, 5 multiparametric buoys and 10 tide gauges, and regional/coastal/harbour scale models operational in the area.

WP11: VA: Puertos del Estado will contribute to the project with its applications PORTUS REST API, OpenDap and Web Service (VA#29, VA#30, VA#31).

Relevant Projects- previous and existing:

Puertos del Estado counts with a big expertise in obtaining, analysing and forecasting data of the ocean. Currently the institution is involved in the Iberian-Biscay-Irish Monitoring and Forecast Centre (IBI- MFC) of the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMS) and is leading the IN-SITU TAC for the IBI Region. Nivmar (Storm Surge forecast system for the Spanish Cost), the Wave Forecast System for Port Authorities, the circulation forecast in the IBI area and the SAMPA circulation model at the straits of Gibraltar. Puertos del Estado has been involved in the projects ECOOP, MYOCEAN2 (Prototype Operational Continuity for the GMES Ocean Monitoring and Forecasting Service), “MEDESS-4MS” (Mediterranean Decision Support System for Marine Safety), “MyWave” (A pan- European concerted and integrated approach to operational wave modelling and forecasting – a complement to GMES MyOcean services) and the first JERICO, among others. In the framework of the national projects SAMOA and SAMOA2, Puertos del Estado in collaboration with the Spanish harbors have implemented new coastal and harbor domain models (waves and circulation), nested in the regional CMEMS models, with up to 60 models running operationally around the Spanish coast. A new downstream service developed for the harbors integrates in-situ and models data to provide products of interest for harbor and coastal management.

Short name: UPC

Contact name:  Joaquin del Rio Fernandez

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The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech (UPC) is a public institution dedicated to higher education and research, specialised in the fields of engineering, architecture and science. UPC’s research, teaching and management projects are based on the principles of freedom, justice, democracy, solidarity, cooperation, sustainability, efficiency, transparency and social responsibility. They also reflect the University’s commitment to the environment and to change. With a focus on intellectual rigor, critical thinking, a transversal approach to knowledge, educational innovation and entrepreneurship, the UPC produces competent professionals with the skills they need to tackle present and future challenges. These actions make the UPC—in partnership with the productive fabric—an agent and driver of economic and social change. As a leading member of international networks of excellence, the UPC has a privileged relationship with global scientific and educational organisations. As a result, the University is at an advantage when it comes to attracting international talent. The SARTI team is a research group within the UPC devoted to electronics and instrumentation for marine technologies. The last years, SARTI has been involved in high tech marine instrumentation facilities design and deployment like OBSEA, an underwater cabled observatory. Interoperability experiments at instrument level and at data management level are being carried out. SARTI is an active member of OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium), SOSC (Smart Ocean Sensor Consortium) and IEEE, and was participating in the drafting of last communication protocols like “PUCK 1.0 SWG OGC”, and “IEEE DRAFT Standard for a Smart Transducer Interface for Sensors and Actuators – Transducer to Microprocessor Communication Protocols and Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS) Formats”. JERICO will benefits from UPC of its background in the full chain of marine related activities. From its technical and scientifical background developping marine instrumentation to the expertisse on building facilities for testing (e.g. Obsea). UPC members experience about developping new standards and its application to marine instrumentation will be a key factor that will contribute to JERICO.

JERICO-S3: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

UPC will contribute to JERICO offering OBSEA seafloor observatory under TNA. UPC will be also involve in WP7 developing SWE tools, and integrating new sensors in a coastal EGIM. UPC will provide engineering support in many tasks related to sensor integration. UPC-Obsea participates as a node in the NWMed supersite.

JERICO-NEXT: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

UPC will contribute to JERICO NEXT under WP7 offering OBSEA seafloor observatory under TNA. 

Contributions to WP5 about data management and data quality control of data acquired in fixed and underwater cabled observatories.

Relevant Projects- previous and existing:

•NeXOS (FP7 OCEAN 2013.2, GA: 614102). new cost-effective, innovative and compact integrated multifunctional sensor systems

FixO3 (INFRA-2012.1.1.11, GA: 312463), Fixed point Open Ocean Observatory network

JERICO-NEXT GA number: 654410 — JERICO-NEXT — H2020-INFRAIA-2014-2015. Joint European Research Infrastructure network for Coastal Observatory – Novel European eXpertise for coastal observaTories

METEOMET2 (European Metrology Research Programme, researcher grant contract Nº. ENV58-REG1) Metrology for essential climate variables.

EMSODEV — H2020-INFRADEV-2014-2015/H2020-INFRADEV-1-2015-1 Implementation and operation: DEVelopment of instrument module.

Short name: SOCIB

JERICO-S3 contact name: Joaquin Tintoré

JERICO-S3 email address: Please login or register to view contact information.

JERICO-DS contact name: Joaquin Tintoré

JERICO-DS email address: Please login or register to view contact information.

Brief Description of Organisation:

SOCIB is a marine research infrastructure included in the Spanish Large-Scale Infrastructures Map, a multi-platform ocean observing & forecasting system that is leading a new era of coastal ocean observation, a key grand challenge our society is facing today. SOCIB contributes to state-of-the-art science, implements new technologies, responds to society needs and challenges and develops new products. SOCIB and similar infrastructures worldwide, because of their scientific excellence, critical mass, multidisciplinary, integrated and targeted approach, open data policy and sustained funding, are establishing new research ecosystems that facilitate mission-oriented innovation, by this allowing for a quantitative increase in our understanding of key questions on for example oceans’ functioning, oceans and coastal management and/or oceans & climate change.

SOCIB activity is developed by a dynamic team of approximately 40 people including international leading scientists, engineers, technicians, data experts, postdocs and students. From 2011 to 12/2018, SOCIB team has published 120 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has participated in 11 international projects, including FP7 and H2020. SOCIB products and Services Strategy has identified 10 key user sectors for which SOCIB provides data of value (e.g. value to decision making).

JERICO-S3: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

Task 1.2 A 15-year vision for the JERICO-RI (Foresight)
Task 1.3 Next generation European coastal observing system (M12-M48)
Task 2.A: Collaboration and interoperability with marine, river and terrestrial RIs
Task 2.2: Interfacing with COPERNICUS, Coastal-based industries and citizen science (M1-M42)
Task 2.C: Regional connectivity and link between scales and dynamics
Task 2.D: Interfacing with monitoring programs, non-European OOS and the political realm
Task 4.1. Planning and Implementation
Task 4.2. Innovative monitoring and science strategy for Pilot Supersite implementation
Task 5.1: Functional homogenization support and tools for mature coastal observing platforms
Task 5.2 Best Practices for Pilot observing technologies
Task 5.3: Performance Monitoring for the operation and integration of JERICO-RI platforms.
Task 6.2: Data management for coastal platforms
Task 6.3: Data management activities on selected biological sensor types
Task 6.4: Data management support activities
Task 7.1 Innovations in platform, sensor and data interoperability Task
Task 7.2: Innovative ecosystem sensors and sensor package developments
Task 7.3: Enabling data science from innovative observation services and systems Task
Task 7.4: JERICO e-Infrastructure
Task 8.1: Trans-national Access
Task 11.1: Virtual Access
Task 9.1: Committee for long term governance
Task 9.2: Community of users in JERICO-RI: Analysis of Users and usage strategy
Task 9.3: Long term governance and way towards institutional, national and other sustainability initiatives
WP 10: Outreach activities

JERICO-DS: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

Leading Work Package 3, “e-Infrastructure technical design and data integration strategy” Named involvement in all other work packages. Other particular involvement in WPs 1 (Science and Technology), 2 (Technical Design), 4 (Sustainability), 5 (Governance and organization and 6 (Communication) as a national representative.

JERICO-NEXT: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

WP1: SOIB contributes to the definition of a long term European Strategy on Coastal Research Infraestructures and in particular in task 1.4 on the interaction betwen JERICO 2 and other international observing networks

WP5: SOCIB is actively involved in WP5 and will provide its expertise in data management and quality control (i.e., HF radar, glider). In particular it will be responsible for Task 5.6 related to Quality Assessment procedures on gliders data collection.

WP6: SOCIB proposes the use and Access to the VA framework of the fixed stations (deep and coastal moorings) and the HF Radar Facility all managed through SOCIB Data Center Facility

WP7: SOCIB proposes the use of its glider fleet in the TNA framework to researchers to address key scientific top level priorities, contribute to technology development and respond to society needs.

WP8: SOCIB will participate actively in this WP, related to the development of educational meterial for schools. The ‘follow the glider’ initiative carried out in JERICO will be continued and extended.

Relevant Projects- previous and existing:

H2020 (654410) JERICO NEXT: “Joint European Research Infrastructure network for Coastal Observatory – Novel European eXpertise for coastal observaTories”. Dates: 09/2015 – 08/2019

EC-DG MARE. MEDSEA_CHECKPOINT. EMODNET (European Marine Observation and Data Network), Growth and innovation in ocean economy; gaps and priorities in sea basin observation and data. European Commission, DG for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Contract MARE/2012/11- Contract Number: SI2.658137. Dates: 12/2013 – 06/2017

H2020 (654310) ODIP2, Extending the Ocean Data Interoperability Platform. Dates: 04/2015 – 03/2018

COPERNICUS_IN SITU TAC: Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service. European Commission, Main Contractor: MERCATOR. Dates: 04/2015 – 04/2018

COPERNICUS_MED MFC: Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service. European Comission, Main Contractor: MERCATOR. Dates: 04/2015 – 04/2018

MedSUB: Understanding meso and submesoscale ocean interactions to improve Mediterranean CMEMS products. (CMEMSService Evolution Call for Tender 21-SE-CALL1). Dates: 05/2016 – 03/2018

CMEMS-User Uptake IBISAR, real-time information of the ocean current forecast products available in the Iberian-Biscay-Irish regional seas and present their performance skill. 06/2018-12/2019.

Short name: CSIC

Contact name:  Alejandro Orfila

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The Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) is the largest public multidisciplinary research organisation in Spain. CSIC collaborates with national and International universities, public RTD organisations, SMEs, companies and other institutions of a scientific/technological nature.

It has a staff of more than 13,500 employees, among these about 3,500 are permanent researchers and more than 4,000 are pre- and post-doctoral researchers.

The CSIC has 126 institutes or centres distributed throughout Spain, including 50 Joint Research Units with universities or other research institutions. There is also a delegation in Brussels.

It has considerable experience in both participating and managing RTD projects and training of research personnel.

JERICO-NEXT: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

The main task of IMEDEA-CSIC will be the development of specific target experiments regarding HF- Radar and lagrangian experiments in the Baleric Sea area.

Relevant Projects- previous and existing

Mediterranean Decision Support System for Marine Safety. MEDESS-4MS. MED PROGRAMME TOSCA. Tracking Oil Spils and Coastal Awardness. MED PROGRAMME

Referencia: 2GMed09-425 IMPORTE:150.000€

Wave current interaction and sediment transport: A bussiness Approach. BUS-1 CTM2009-12072

Short name: AZTI

Contact name:  Julien Mader and Anna Rubio

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AZTI is a private non-for-profit technological and research organization. Since 1981 its activities have been focused on developing sustainable products, services and business initiatives aimed at transforming science into sustainable and healthy development for society today and for the future. With a staff of 240 people, the fields of expertise include operational oceanography, marine management, implementation of EU directives, marine spatial planning, fish stock assessment, physical and biological oceanography, marine dynamics and modelling, marine environmental systems and marine technologies. AZTI has been coordinator of 6 EU research projects and active participant in over 60 EU-funded projects. In Operational Oceanography, AZTI combines a long experience in EU projects (ECOOP, LOREA, OPERR, SPRES, JERICO, JERICO_NEXT, INCREASE, MYCOAST) with 17 years operating the Basque Coastal Observing Network (EuskOOS) in the SE Bay of Biscay, that is sustained by the Regional authorities. EuskOOS aims to provide crucial information for application on safety and efficiency of marine operations, public health risks, and ecosystem and marine resources management. It is also worth noting that the team is highly involved in key initiatives for coordination and development of th operational oceanography in Europe (EuroGOOS members, chairing HFR Task Team, CO-chairing IBIROOS and Coastal working group).

JERICO-S3: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

AZTI will lead WP1 aiming to design and setup innovative monitoring approach and prospective for the JERICO-RI.

In WP2, AZTI will be involved in Task 2.B interfacing with satellite SAR community and CMEMS.
As IRS leader in WP3, AZTI will coordinate the activities in the Bay of Biscay, contributing in the development of activities related to harmonisation and data integration.

AZTI will lead WP5 and the management of the harmonization of the different systems of JERICO-RI. Then, AZTI will be involved in the technical teams dealing with HF Radars, Fixed Platform and Environmental DNA, and in the design and implementation of Key Performance Indicators.

In WP7, AZTI will lead a pilot case for developing tools based on HF Radars.

And finally, AZTI will offer Trans National Access to AUV and slope buoy, and provide Virtual Access services on HF Radar products.

JERICO-NEXT: Main tasks attributed under Work Packages:

Relevant Projects- previous and existing

COMBAT, Combination of Altimetry and HF radar observations for coastal data assimilation.

Copernicus Service Evolution project; 66-SE-CMEMS-CALL2. 2018-2020
CMEMS-TAC-INSITU, Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service, provision of in-situ ocean observation products. 2018-2021. Involved in the HF Radar implementation.

MYCOAST, Coordinated Atlantic Coastal Operational Oceanographic Observatory. INTERREG Atlantic Area. PI of the project. 2017-2020

LIFE LEMA: Intelligent marine Litter removal and management for local authorities. Demonstration of the feasibility of a sustainable management strategy to address floating marine litter.
Operational oceanography services. LIFE15 ENV/ES/000252. 2016-2019.

MAREA: Modelling and management support against coastal risks in the Basque Coast. INTERREG Va. Innovative observing and warning systems; Impact of extreme stormy events. 2016-2019.

INCREASE, Innovation and Networking for the integration of Coastal Radars into European mArine Services. Copernicus Service Evolution project; Lot5. PI of the project. 2016-2018.

IBISAR: Skill Assessment service to provide real-time met-ocean data ranking in the IBI area for emergency responders (SAR operators). User Uptake CMEMS, call for tenders 67-UU-DO-CMEMS-DEM4.

JERICO-NEXT, Joint European Research Infrastructure network for Coastal Observatory – Novel.European eXpertise for coastal observaTories. H2020-INFRAIA-2014-2015. Main
contributions in HF Radar activities are: Harmonization, Networking, Products developments, Data management, Virtual access. 2015-2019.