A landmark horizon-scanning report maps the most promising emerging technologies and breakthrough innovations in ocean monitoring, and charts where the scientific community should focus its energy in the years ahead. The EU’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) has released its latest Observing the Future report, offering a comprehensive scan of the technological horizon for ocean observation.
Subtitled Horizon scanning for emerging technologies and breakthrough innovations in the field of ocean observation, the publication serves as both a roadmap and a rallying call for the research and industrial innovation community — outlining exactly where meaningful progress is within reach over the next several years.
The timing is no coincidence. The UN Ocean Decade, the international framework running from 2021 to 2030 to mobilise science for a sustainable ocean, is now entering its second half. Commitments must translate into tangible results, and fast.
Eight Areas Where Innovation Can Make a Real Difference
The JRC report identifies eight priority technology areas that hold the greatest potential for transforming how scientists and policymakers observe, understand, and protect the world’s oceans:
autonomous eDNA and eRNA samplers;
lab-on-chip systems;
cost-effective and modular sensors;
data fusion between Earth observation and in-situ measurements;
The research examines a mucilage event in the Adriatic Sea, a phenomenon in which large aggregates of organic matter accumulate in the water column, disrupting marine ecosystems, using high-frequency observational methods to capture the phytoplankton community’s response with unprecedented resolution. The findings shed new light on how these communities adapt to acute environmental stress events.
Of critical importance is that the study draws directly on three of the EU Joint Research Centre’s highlighted priority areas:
data fusion between Earth observation and in-situ measurements,
deep learning-enabled imaging,
and flow cytometry and particle-based high-frequency observations of plankton
These cutting/edge technologies and the integrating approach demonstrated the path from technological promise to scientific application is already well underway.
EU’s Joint Research Centre Report Contributors and Acknowledgements
The report authors acknowledge the valuable contribution of Michela Bergamini, Marcelina Grabowska and Olivier Eulaerts (EC – DG JRC, Text and Data Mining Unit), together with Emily Djock and Fabian Reck (Itonics), for their support in gathering the signals used in the report.
They also express their appreciation to the workshop participants, whose time, expertise and input helped shape the work, including Mario Špadina, CEO and co-founder of SeaCras:
Abed El Rahman Hassoun (GEOMAR), Alexander Phillips (NOC), Alfredo Martins (INESCTEC), Andrew King (NIVA), Catarina Lemos (CEiiA), Catherine Dreanno (IFREMER), Cyril Germineaud (ODATIS & CNES), Christina Pavloudi (EMBRC-ERIC), Encarni Medina-Lopez (University of Edinburgh), Eva Chatzinikolaou (HCMR), Fiona Regan (Dublin City University), Gabriele Pieri (ISTI-CNR), Gonçalo Faria (Forum Oceano), Inga Lips (L4M Consulting), Jean-Francois Berthon (EC – DG JRC), Johannes Singer (FUGRO), Klaas Deneudt (VLIZ), Laurent Mortier (ENSTA IP Paris), Louis Demargne (FUGRO), Lumi Haraguchi (SYKE Finland), Mario Špadina (SeaCras), Martha Valiadi (IMBB-FORTH), Michela Martinelli (IRBIM-CNR), Nicolas Pade (EMBRC ERIC), Patrick Gorringe (SMHI), Patrizio Mariani (TU Denmark), Paul Trautendorfer (JPI Oceans), Philippe Blondel (University of Bath), Rodrigo Ataide Dias (EC – DG MARE), Sari Giering (NOC), Sheila Heymans (European Marine Board), Sophie Clayton (NOC) and Victoire Rérolle (Fluidion).
DOI: 10.2760/3939356 (online)
Citation: FARINHA, J., NAGY, O., BAILEY, G. and POLVORA, A., Observing the Future – Horizon scanning for emerging technologies and breakthrough innovations in the field of ocean observation, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2026, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/3939356, JRC144401.
What Are the Goals and Purpose of the Joint Research Centre?
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the European Commission’s science and knowledge service. Through independent, evidence-based scientific advice grounded in its research, the JRC provides scientific and technical support for the development of EU policies.
From investment and innovation to public health and coastal resilience, EU Ocean Days 2026 in Brussels (2–6 March) brought together the institutions, initiatives, and industry players shaping Europe’s next chapter in ocean sustainability.
SeaCras was one of key innovative companies to actively contribute to several key events during the week, and contributing to high-level policy dialogue on marine innovation, pollution response, blue economy transparency, and the role of trusted data in protecting both the environment and public wellbeing.
Our participation at EU Ocean Days 2026 unfolded across several distinct but closely connected areas, each pointing to a different aspect of how the company is building its role within Europe’s blue economy.
From investor recognition and policy-level dialogue to practical environmental actions, strategic partnerships, and participation in major research initiatives, the week made one thing clear: meaningful progress in ocean sustainability depends on solutions that can connect innovation with implementation.
The key highlights are outlined below:
1) BlueInvest Day & Investor Report Recognition in the 2026 BlueInvest Investor Report positioned SeaCras among the technologies to watch, underlining the rising relevance of AI-powered, space-enabled ocean intelligence in Europe’s blue economy.
2) Mission Ocean and Waters Forum at the EU Commission At the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” Forum, SeaCras reinforced a timely point: Europe now needs stronger backing for solutions that are already capable of delivering measurable environmental impact.
3) Presenting Our Actions with the Mission Ocean and Waters: CAPRI & Planet First Through CAPRI and Planet First, SeaCras showed that effective ocean action depends on translating data, research, and sustainability commitments into practical tools and real-world use cases.
4) Strategic partnerships and Excellence criteria: EIT Water member SeaCras’ official partnership with EIT Water reflects its growing place within a European innovation ecosystem focused on advancing smarter, cleaner, and more resilient marine and water solutions.
5) Strategic partnerships and Excellence criteria: Horizon Europe Participation in the Horizon Europe-backed REMEDIES 5.0 project further confirms SeaCras’ role in large-scale European collaboration designed to deliver tangible impact across diverse coastal and waterfront environments.
1) BlueInvest Day & Investor Report
One of the standout moments came with the release of the 2026 BlueInvest Investor report, The Next Wave of Blue Growth, presented as part of BlueInvest Day 2026 — an event positioned by the organisers as a flagship gathering for innovation, investment, and sustainability in the EU blue economy.
In that context, SeaCras was highlighted among the technologies to watch, with recognition spanning these areas:
Space–ocean integration is becoming a “system-of-systems” layer, as combining satellite Earth Observation (EO), in situ sensors, and AI proves essential for metocean forecasting, pollution tracking, and ESG reporting.
AI-enabled ocean intelligence is moving from pilots to operations, with AI, machine learning, and digital twins becoming essential for forecasting, anomaly detection, emissions optimisation, and biodiversity insights.
This kind of positioning matters: it places the company in a conversation that increasingly values not just innovation, but deployable, mission-aligned solutions.
2) Mission Ocean and Waters Forum at the EU Commission
The broader policy backdrop was equally important. At the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” forum, attention shifted from vision to execution. The mission’s objective is clear: restore the health of oceans, seas, and inland waters by 2030, while supporting pollution prevention, ecosystem restoration, and a more sustainable blue economy. SeaCras used that stage to underline a practical point: the next phase of impact will require stronger backing for solutions that are already capable of supporting coastal management and pollution reduction in the real world.
3) Presenting Our Actions with the Mission Ocean and Waters: CAPRI & Planet First
That message was reinforced through two concrete actions presented during the week. The first was Planet First, framed as part of SeaCras’ wider commitment to a more sustainable and transparent blue economy. The second was CAPRI – Coastal Anthropogenic Pollution Risk Identification, an initiative focused on turning marine and coastal data into practical support for pollution response, public health protection, and long-term resilience in Croatia.
Rather than staying at the level of concept, both examples pointed to a recurring theme at EU Ocean Days: Europe is looking for solutions that can move from insight to implementation.
4) Strategic partnerships and Excellence criteria: EIT Water member
The week also pointed toward what comes next. SeaCras’ positioning alongside major European innovation frameworks reflects a wider trend in the sector: stronger alignment between research, capital, and market deployment. That includes the emergence of EIT Water, designed to connect innovators across the water, marine, and maritime fields, as well as Horizon Europe, the EU’s key research and innovation funding programme through 2027.
SeaCras is proud to be an official partner of EIT Water, a collaboration that reinforces our role in shaping data-driven solutions for cleaner, more resilient marine and water ecosystems.
5) Strategic partnerships and Excellence criteria: Horizon Europe
SeaCras is part of a consortium that got approved funding for the project REMEDIES 5.0. This is a Horizon Europe initiative under HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-05 that will bring together 52 partners for a colossal project, led by the National Institute for Chemistry in Slovenia. This project will be deploying over 20 integrated solutions across 13 diverse waterfront cities and ports in all four European sea and river basins.
Within this landscape — and building on the key momentum of EU Ocean Days 2026 — SeaCras is continuing to position itself not only as a participant in the blue economy conversation, but as a company actively helping shape how that conversation turns into tangible actions.
Another meaningful chapter for us comes to a close — until next year.
