On 30th November 2023, an EMODnet Call to Action was launched at the Closing Session of the EMODnet Open Conference 2023. The Call to Action outlined EMODnet’s achievements to-date, emerging areas of development, and the need for an evolution in the governance and funding of EMODnet, to ensure a fully functioning, sustainable EC marine data service. This also called upon the >120 partners of EMODnet and key actors in the European and Global community to actively contribute to developing an EMODnet Vision to 2035, with an implementation roadmap that would realise the full potential of EMODnet.
To coordinate the EMODnet Vision 2035, and ensure the content reflects the vision of the diverse EMODnet community, the EMODnet Secretariat has set up an “EMODnet Vision 2035 Drafting Group (EMODnet VDG)”, as an informal working group that serves as a platform and forum for strategic and foresight discussions representing the EMODnet community and taking into consideration guidance and recommendation from the wider stakeholder community.
The EMODnet VDG includes representatives of all key EMODnet components, namely the Central Portal and Secretariat, 7 thematic groups, data ingestion, sea-basin checkpoints, and Associated Partners. Members were sourced from a call for nominations to the full EMOD-network. The EMODnet VDG also includes representatives from some key actors in the European and International ocean observation and marine data landscape, including Copernicus Marine Service, EuroGOOS, EuroGeoSurveys, SeaDataNet, ICES, IHO, IODE, and the UN Ocean Decade DCC for Ocean Data Sharing.
The first EMODnet VDG meeting was held in April 2024 and the second on 24th June 2024. In July - September 2024 EMODnet will also launch a public consultation, for the EMOD-network and wider stakeholders to have their say in EMODnet's service evolution to 2035.
Table 1. List of EMODnet Vision 2035 Drafting Group Members.
Last Name | First Name | Organisation | EMODnet Affiliation |
Larkin | Kate | EMODnet Secretariat, Seascape Belgium (SSBE) | EMODnet Secretariat |
Delaney | Conor | EMODnet Secretariat, Seascape Belgium (SSBE) | EMODnet Secretariat |
Schmitt | Thierry | French Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (Shom), France | Bathymetry |
Maudire | Gilbert | French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), France | Bathymetry |
Beja | Joana | Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Belgium | Central Portal, Biology |
Lipizer | Marina | National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), Italy | Biology |
Giorgetti | Alessandra | National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), Italy | Chemistry |
Schlitzer | Reiner | Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Germany | Chemistry |
Kaskela | Anu | Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), Finland | Geology |
Blischke | Anett | Iceland GeoSurvey (ÍSOR), Iceland | Geology |
Pititto | Alessandro | COGEA, BIP – Group, Italy | Human Activities |
Santiago | José Luis | Centro Tecnológico Del Mar (CETMAR), Spain | Human Activities |
Novellino | Antonio | ETT Solutions (ETT), Italy | Physics |
Gorringe | Patrick | Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Sweden | Physics |
Karvinen | Ville | Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Finland | Seabed Habitats |
Schaap | Dick* | Mariene Informatie Service (MARIS), the Netherlands | Bathymetry, Chemistry, Data Ingestion |
Iona | Sissy | Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR | Data Ingestion |
Tyberhein | Lennert | Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Belgium | Central Portal |
She | Jun | Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), Denmark | SBCP Coordinator (Baltic Sea) |
Simoncelli | Simona | National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), Italy | SBCP Coordinator (Mediterranean Sea) |
Palazov | Atanas | Institute of Oceanology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IO-BAS), Bulgaria | SBCP Coordinator (Black Sea) |
Mahapatra | Pooja | FUGRO | Associated partner |
Hayes | Daniel | Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI), Cyprus | Associated partner (until April 2025); partner (May 2025 on) |
Mills | Dave | Bangor University, UK | Associated partner |
Souf | Adeline* | International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) - EU Network Group (IENWG) / French Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (Shom), France | Wider stakeholder |
Holdsworth | Neil | International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) | Wider stakeholder |
Van Heteren | Sytze | EuroGeoSurveys / Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), The Netherlands | Wider stakeholder |
Le Traon | Pierre-Yves | Copernicus Marine Service, Mercator Ocean International (MOi), France | Wider stakeholder |
Pissierssens | Peter** | International Oceanographic Information and Data Exchange (IODE) of IOC / UNESCO | Wider stakeholder |
Calewaert | Jan-Bart*** | UN Ocean Decade Decade Coordination Office Ocean Data Sharing (DCO ODS), IOC/UNESCO; Seascape Belgium (SSBE) | Wider stakeholder |
Scory | Serge | SeaDataNet, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Belgium | Wider stakeholder |
Lips | Inga**** | EuroGOOS Secretariat | Wider stakeholder |
*VDG co-Chairs
**retired Spring 2025
***held role 2023-February 2025
****left position in Spring 2025