The annual coordination meeting of the EMODnet projects was held in Brussels on 23 November 2025, followed by the EMODnet Open Conference on 24–25 November 2025.
Both events were attended by Institute scientists Dr. Slavica Matijević and Dr. Damir Ivanković. The Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries has been a partner in the EMODnet network for more than 20 years, through the former SeaDataNet and SeaCloud projects, and is currently involved in the EMODnet Ingestion and EMODnet Chemistry projects.
In June 2025, the European Commission launched the European Ocean Pact, calling for coordinated, evidence-based action at sea. As a core pillar of EU marine knowledge, EMODnet is positioned to serve as a key backbone for marine data within this collective effort.
At the Open Conference, EMODnet presented its Vision 2035, a community-driven roadmap for the development of its services over the next decade. The vision highlights EMODnet’s core assets, service pillars and cross-cutting components, as well as its central role in supporting EU policies such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive. It also underlines EMODnet’s contribution to the European Digital Twin of the Ocean and its role within international frameworks, including initiatives such as Seabed 2030, OBIS and the UN Ocean Decade’s Ocean Data Information System (ODIS).
The fourth EMODnet Open Conference took place at a pivotal moment, as 2025 marks the midpoint of several major EU and global policy frameworks, including the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”, the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the UN 2030 Agenda. In this context, the conference reflected on EMODnet’s contributions to policy implementation, particularly within the Integrated Maritime Policy, and explored its role in supporting new initiatives such as the upcoming European Commission Observation Initiative, the Nature Restoration Law and the conservation of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ).
