Blue-Cloud 2026 advances marine research with FAIR & open data, analytical services, and virtual labs for EU seas. It supports Green Deal objectives, EU Missions, and UN SDGs, enhancing the Digital Twin Ocean. Over 42 months, it expands its ecosystem, integrating diverse datasets and infrastructures.

The EU-funded Blue-Cloud 2026 project aims at further evolving the pilot Blue-Cloud project into a federated European ecosystem to deliver FAIR and open data as well as analytical services for research of oceans, EU seas, and coastal and inland waters. It will develop a thematic marine extension to the EOSC in support of the Green Deal, Destination Earth, the EU Mission "Restore our Oceans and Water by 2030" and UN SDGs, ultimately providing a core data service for the Digital Twin Ocean. Over 42 months, Blue-Cloud 2026 will develop additional analytical services, new Virtual Labs and new data sets from a multitude of data originators. 

A Horizon Europe project
Project dates: 1st January 2023 to 30 Jun 2026
EMBRC role : partner
Funding: €8,845,420.00
Grant agreement number: 101094227


Blue-Cloud 2026 offers essential resources for ocean research, including diverse datasets and analytical tools. It aims to expand into a Federated European Ecosystem, providing FAIR & Open data crucial for studying oceans and related areas. With a focus on serving the EU's environmental and economic agendas, it enhances accessibility to structured data collections. The advanced ecosystem will support the Digital Twin of the Ocean, utilizing Data Lakes for validated and harmonised data. Its scalable VRE architecture ensures integration of additional services, benefiting a wider user base.


Cordis factsheet

Current projects

PROJECT
DOORS, an EU-funded initiative, aligns with the Black Sea Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) to address challenges and foster Blue Growth in this unique marine basin. By harmonizing research, supporting start-ups, and shaping policy, DOORS aims to transform obstacles into opportunities, ensuring a prosperous and sustainable future for the Black Sea region.
PROJECT
The EU-funded BlueRemediomics project aims to unlock the vast potential of marine microbiomes for sustainable ecosystem services and biodiscovery. Using advanced technologies, it aims to understand the composition, interactions, and functions of marine microbes. BlueRemediomics will develop bioinformatics platforms, innovative culturomics, and high-throughput screening tools to identify natural products. It promotes responsible exploitation, equitable access, and ocean literacy while fostering aquaculture and ecosystem health.
PROJECT
BIOcean5D is a collaborative effort among European institutions to explore marine biodiversity comprehensively. With cutting-edge technologies and extensive research, it aims to understand and preserve marine ecosystems amidst rapid changes in the Anthropocene era. This initiative will generate valuable data, inform ecological theories, develop indicators of ecosystem health, and foster sustainable management of oceans.
PROJECT
ANERIS, funded by the EU, designs Operational Marine Biology to systematically measure ocean life. It combines advanced tools like genomics, bio-optics, and participatory sciences. Through innovation and collaboration, it supports academia, industry, governments, civil society, and research infrastructures, promising enhanced observational systems and innovative life-sensing technologies.
PROJECT
AgroServ, an EU-funded initiative, pioneers a holistic approach to understand and address challenges in agriculture. By integrating diverse stakeholders and employing transdisciplinary research, it aims to foster resilient and sustainable agroecological systems across Europe. Through living labs, data ecosystems, and community building, AgroServ strives to empower farmers and researchers alike, ensuring impactful insights for evidence-based policymaking and long-term sustainability.
PROJECT
eDNAqua-Plan seeks to gather information on aquatic monitoring projects, assessing standardization efforts, and evaluating the feasibility of creating a FAIR-based digital ecosystem for eDNA repositories and a dynamic species reference library to support future biodiversity monitoring initiatives in marine and freshwater ecosystems.
PROJECT
The EU-funded AtlantECO project aims to develop and apply a novel, unifying framework that provides knowledge-based resources for a better understanding and management of the Atlantic Ocean and its ecosystem services. Focus areas include: microbiomes, plastic and the plastisphere, and seascape connectivity.