Behind EMODnet’s harmonised marine data offer lies a continuous effort to ensure that data, products and tools work together as one coherent system. This is the role of the EMODnet Technical Working Group (TWG): a forum where technical experts from across the EMODnet partnership come together to coordinate development, address shared challenges and guide the evolution of the infrastructure while ensuring optimal user-friendliness.
As EMODnet has moved towards a more integrated approach through the centralised EMODnet Portal, the importance of this coordination has only grown. The TWG helps ensure that EMODnet remains consistent, interoperable and fit-for-purpose, while continuing to respond to evolving technical and user needs.
What is the purpose of the TWG?
EMODnet publishes data products from multiple disciplines, organisations and systems. The EMODnet data products span a number of themes and are produced by several groups of thematic lots who are part of the EMODnet network. This network approach to EMODnet is also reflected in EMODnet’s digital publishing infrastructure. This digital infrastructure of EMODnet is federated, with each of the respective thematic lots running and maintaining their own data servers which host the EMODnet products that they produce. The EMODnet Portal presents in one place all the EMODnet products that are hosted by these remote servers.
The TWG plays a key role in ensuring that this complexity is managed in a coordinated way, enabling a consistent and reliable user experience.
What does it look like?
The TWG is a working platform, providing a dedicated space for technical coordination across EMODnet. It brings together IT experts and marine data scientists to exchange progress, identify challenges and work collectively on solutions that benefit the system as a whole.
Its core role is to support the development and optimisation of the EMODnet Portal and its data services, ensuring that data and products are findable, accessible and usable through a unified interface. This includes addressing interoperability issues, improving user experience, and contributing to the longer-term technical roadmap of EMODnet.
It also supports EMODnet’s contribution to wider initiatives such as the Digital Twin Ocean, where interoperability, discoverability and scalable technical solutions are essential. In this context, the TWG helps ensure that EMODnet continues to evolve as a modern, integrated marine data service.
Who is involved?
The TWG brings together technical experts and coordinators from the seven EMODnet thematic groups and Data Ingestion, members of the EMODnet Secretariat, the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), and representatives from DG MARE and CINEA. External experts may also be invited where relevant.
It works in close coordination with the EMODnet Portal technical team, which includes technical experts from the EMODnet Secretariat and Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ). This team supports the development, hosting and operation of the EMODnet Portal and works closely with the TWG to address technical developments and challenges across the system.
What does the TWG do in practice?
The TWG meets twice per year. Its activities include:
- Improving interoperability between thematic systems
- Supporting the development of the EMODnet Portal and its marine data tools
- Enhancing the user experience of the Map Viewer and Catalogue
- Advancing metadata harmonisation and standardisation
- Streamlining monitoring and reporting processes
- Sharing expertise and identifying best practices across the partnership
The latest EMODnet Technical Working Group meeting took place on 19–20 March 2026, bringing together technical experts from across the partnership, alongside DG MARE and CINEA.
19th Technical Working Group meeting @EMODnet Secretariat
Key discussions focused on updates to the EMODnet Portal, including service monitoring, Map Viewer developments and planned improvements to reporting workflows .
A major area of focus was metadata harmonisation, with discussions on improving consistency in distribution information, resource constraints, temporal references and data provenance. This work is closely linked to interoperability needs and to EMODnet’s role within EDITO.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for thematic groups to share technical progress and challenges, ranging from infrastructure upgrades and catalogue improvements to data processing methods and emerging topics such as AI-related experimentation.
Overall, the meeting highlighted the breadth of ongoing technical work across EMODnet, and the importance of continued coordination to ensure coherence and efficiency across all systems.
👉 The minutes of the latest meeting will be available soon on the Maritime Forum
👉 Minutes from previous TWG meetings are also available on the Maritime Forum