Blue-Cloud 2026's participation in the EU Mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters" marks a pivotal commitment made in the summer of 2023. The mission, with its sights set on revitalising ocean and water health by 2030, draws strength from research, innovation, civic engagement, and strategic blue investments. With an integrated approach that considers oceans and waters as an interwoven entity, this mission promises to contribute significantly to climate neutrality and ecological rejuvenation.
The EU Mission Ocean: Two years on
In their initial two years, the five EU Missions have showcased their capacity to accelerate change, facilitated by Horizon Europe funding. They've harmonised EU policies with local engagement, with aims to achieve ambitious 2030 goals, spanning climate adaptation, cancer care, ecosystem restoration, urban carbon neutrality, and soil health.
The Mission "Restore our ocean and waters" centres on safeguarding aquatic environments amid mounting resource pressures. It positions the EU as a leader in sustainable blue economies, fostering innovation essential for this transition. By integrating existing efforts at various levels, the Mission bolsters EU legislation, marine governance, and freshwater policies, and has established four Mission 'lighthouses' as test beds for large-scale solution deployment across major basins, involving over 100 European regions. Over 480 actions worth EUR 3.72 billion were pledged under the Mission's Charter, backed by political endorsement and diverse stakeholder commitment.
An Implementation Platform and the forthcoming European Digital Twin of the Ocean serve stakeholder engagement, offering ocean knowledge for predictive decisions. Citizen science, ocean literacy initiatives, responsible sea-product consumption campaigns, and participatory models are being adopted. The Mission sparks collaborations between EU programs, spanning research, BlueInvest, recovery funds, Interreg, and Copernicus.
Blue-Cloud’s pledge to the EU Mission Charter
Blue-Cloud 2026 has taken a pivotal step by pledging its support to the Mission Ocean, a testament to the central role our actions play in fulfilling and enhancing the critical Mission objectives:
- Safeguarding Biodiversity: Aligned with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, Blue-Cloud commits to protecting and rejuvenating marine and freshwater ecosystems, recognising their pivotal role in sustaining biodiversity.
- Eliminating Ocean Pollution: In harmony with the EU Action Plan Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water, and Soil, Blue-Cloud contributes to efforts aimed at preventing and eradicating pollution in oceans, seas, and waters.
- Cultivating a Sustainable Blue Economy: Blue-Cloud echoes the proposed European Climate Law and the comprehensive vision of the Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy. Our efforts contribute to the transformative journey towards a carbon-neutral and circular blue economy.
Through our proactive initiatives, we stand committed to reinforcing the EU Ocean knowledge system while upholding FAIR principles in knowledge and data sharing. With our suite of interactive Blue-Cloud services for ocean science, we're poised to facilitate the active involvement of researchers and citizens in pivotal decision-making processes. Furthermore, our actions have the potential to catalyse investments from both public and private sources, fostering a more sustainable approach to ocean management.
End users can already test the capabilities of Blue-Cloud core services such as the Virtual Research Environment and the Data Discovery and Access Service, which provide the basis for thematic and interdisciplinary applications in the Virtual Labs and the upcoming Essential Ocean Variables Workbenches.
Blue-Cloud 2026 is also sharing knowledge through the Training Academy and collaborating with other Mission actors and initiatives, taking stock of the collective progress of achieving the Mission objectives and contributing to adjusting its course and steering its actions.
Browse the official map of the Mission Ocean charter
