Consortium

Netcompany S.A.

Netcompany S.A. is a leading IT services company in Europe, delivering digital and innovative solutions for governments, businesses, and society. Within Netcompany SEE & EU Institutions, the Research & Innovation Development (RID) department explores emerging technologies and drives innovation with a strong track record in EU-funded research and innovation projects. RID provides advanced solutions such as decision support systems, data platforms, AI-driven tools and Generative AI, system integration and CI/CD, turning research into real-world impact for clients and communities.

NETC role in TerraTwin

Netcompany S.A. (NETC) serves as Project Coordinator, providing overall strategic and administrative leadership across TerraTwin. As technical lead for the Digital Twin of the Ecosystem (DTE) engine, NETC develops the core integration layer that unifies data, models, scenario analysis tools, and visualizations within the DTE. NETC also leads preliminary trials and end‑to‑end integration of demo cases, ensuring interoperability and interfaces with EU digital twin infrastructures, including EDITO and DestinE.

ICM-CSIC (Spanish National Research Council)

The Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) is the largest public research institution in Spain and one of the leading multidisciplinary research organisations in Europe. Established in 1939, CSIC operates under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and comprises more than 120 research institutes distributed across Spain, covering all major fields of knowledge, from natural sciences and engineering to social sciences and humanities.

ICM-CSIC plays a central role in European and international research frameworks, with extensive participation in Horizon Europe and previous EU Framework Programmes. Its mission encompasses the generation of frontier scientific knowledge, technology development, knowledge transfer to industry and society, and the training of early-stage researchers. ICM-CSIC maintains advanced research infrastructures, including oceanographic vessels, marine observatories, high-performance computing facilities, and specialised laboratories that support cutting-edge interdisciplinary research.
The Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), based in Barcelona, is one of the leading marine research centres in the Mediterranean region and a flagship institute of CSIC in the field of ocean sciences. ICM conducts interdisciplinary research spanning physical oceanography, marine biology, marine geology, biogeochemistry, marine robotics, and ecosystem functioning.

ICM-CSIC is strongly involved in European research initiatives related to marine biodiversity, ecosystem restoration, digital twins of the ocean, and sustainable blue economy strategies. The institute operates and collaborates in advanced marine research infrastructures, including the OBSEA cabled seafloor observatory, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and multi-platform ecological monitoring systems.

Its research activities integrate long-term ecological observations, high-resolution environmental monitoring, artificial intelligence for marine data analysis, and socio-ecological assessments. ICM-CSIC contributes scientific evidence to support European environmental policies such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the European Green Deal, and Mission Ocean & Waters.

Agricultural University of Athens

The Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) is the third-oldest university in Greece, established in 1920, and has since consistently contributed to Greek and European agricultural and economic development through cutting-edge research. It is situated on a 25-hectare green campus that stretches on both sides of the historic Iera Odos (the Sacred Way of antiquity), close to the centre of Athens, at the heart of the ancient Olive Grove, neighbouring the famous Plato’s Academy. The University has 44 fully equipped laboratories divided into six Schools: Environment and Agricultural Engineering, Plant Science, Animal Science and Aquaculture, Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Food and Nutrition, Applied Economics and Social Sciences.

AUA has extensive experience in coordinating and participating in national and European competitive research projects, serving as a coordinator or partner on more than 4,585 funded projects. The AUA team coordinated by the Mineralogy-Geology Laboratory focuses on developing and managing research activities in environmental topics, including natural hazards, Geoinformatics (Remote Sensing & GIS), Water and Soil Resources, marine and aquatic biodiversity. The University is a member of the European University for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability (EU-CONEXUS). For TerraTwin it is supported by experts on terrestrial biodiversity from the Biology department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA).

Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn

The Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn of Naples was established in 1872 by the German scientist Anton Dohrn. It is at present a public research organization controlled by the Ministero dell’Istruzione dell’Università e della Ricerca.

The Stazione Zoologica is among the top research institutions in the world in the fields of marine biology and ecology. Initiated by its founder with the mission to promote basic research by hosting scientists that needed marine organisms for their studies, it is now based on the research carried out by its own staff.

The present mission of the Stazione Zoologica is to conduct basic research in biology with a focus on marine organisms and their biodiversity, tightly linked with studies on biological evolution and marine ecosystem dynamics, using an integrated and interdisciplinary approach. The Stazione Zoologica also supports access to marine organisms for the international scientific community and provides high level training in its mission areas.

From May 1st 2011 the Stazione Zoologica is governed by a Statute that allowed the constitution of an active national scientific community of reference

Atlantic Technological University

Atlantic Technological University (ATU) is a multi-campus technological university in the west and northwest of Ireland that delivers a rich combination of academic and research excellence, quality of life and opportunity. Serving over 20,000 students with over 400 online, blended and on-campus courses available, ATU offers fully accredited flexible qualifications matched to industry demand.
A rich portfolio of policy relevant applied research is actively carried out at several research centres, including the Marine and Freshwater Research Centre (MFRC), which is based at ATU’s Galway Campus. We are committed to working with a range of industry and public sector stakeholders to co-create innovative and practical policy and management solutions to meet a broad range of societal challenges. MFRC research is supported by industry and a diverse range of National and European funding programmes. With particular relevance to the TerraTwin project, ATU will primarily contribute to the integration of biodiversity data, with particular emphasis on DNA-derived information.

Marine Institute

The Marine Institute is Ireland’s national agency for marine research, technology development, and innovation. Its goals include assessing Ireland’s marine resources’ economic potential, promoting sustainable marine industry, as well as safeguarding the marine environment through research and environmental monitoring. To this end, it provides scientific, advisory, and economic development services to inform policy-making, regulation, and sustainable management of Ireland’s marine resources. While marine research and development are conducted, coordinated, and promoted by the Institute to achieve a sustainable ocean economy, protect ecosystems, and inspire ocean understanding.

Robust Systems Engineering

Robust Systems Engineering SCC Ltd (RSE) is a software development company specialising in embedded and edge software solutions for robotics and autonomous systems, with strong expertise in the maritime and offshore sectors. The company develops advanced remote monitoring and control
systems, including control centres and user-oriented operational interfaces, alongside scalable data engineering and big data processing solutions. RSE is actively involved in several EU-funded research and innovation projects, including NERITES, DIGI4ECO, and SunBio, contributing expertise in digital technologies, environmental monitoring, and autonomous systems integration.

Within TerraTwin, RSE acts as a key technical partner responsible for the design, development, and validation of the core Digital Twin Engine (DTE) infrastructure. The company leads the definition of technical requirements, interoperability specifications, and interface design for the DTE, while also coordinating the architecture design and development of the project’s Big Data platform. In addition, RSE leads the validation activities of the DTE across multiple project use cases, ensuring system performance, scalability, and operational reliability. Beyond its leadership responsibilities, RSE contributes to the definition of project use cases, the development of DTE applications, interfaces, and data repositories, as well as supporting project coordination, communication, dissemination, and exploitation activities across the consortium.

Engitec System International Ltd. R&D and Consulting

ESI Limited is a dynamic company which has been founded by a group of experienced engineers and scientists. The company provides advanced inspection services, remote condition monitoring, development of customised data acquisition systems, advanced signal processing methods, software for industrial applications, and metallurgical expertise to its customers. The company also specialises in design and analysis of composite and metallic structures for various industries, including marine, offshore, underwater, wind and aerospace sector. ESI Commercial work is in marine, shipping and oil & gas sectors. In terms of research we have 14 EU funded projects

Within TERRATWIN, ESI provides the project’s scientific management, ensuring technical coherence across WPs, monitoring progress, and supporting WP leaders in resolving scientific/technical issues. ESI also leads quality and risk management, defining and enforcing QA/QC procedures, maintaining the Quality Management Plan, and driving continuous risk identification, mitigation, and reporting. In addition, ESI contributes to validation trials by supporting scenario definition, KPI-based assessment, and evidence packaging to demonstrate the DTE’s performance and transferability. As the lead for policy recommendations, ESI translates pilot results into actionable guidance, aligning outputs with EU and regional governance needs and maintaining engagement with relevant policy processes. Finally, as WP6 Leader, ESI coordinates WP6 execution end-to-end—aligning validation, socio-economic analysis, and policy integration into a consistent set of outcomes (evidence, decision products, and recommendations) delivered from M12 to M36.

University of Nicosia (UNIC)

The University of Nicosia (UNIC) is the largest university in Cyprus and the largest English-language university in Southern Europe, with over 14,000 students from 100 countries. UNIC offers 100+ on-campus and online programmes, with strengths in medicine, health sciences, education, computer science, law, accounting, architecture, and international relations. Internationalisation is central, including joint degrees with Greek universities and St George’s, University of London. UNIC is a pioneer in online education and blockchain-based credentialing, and has received a 5-Star QS rating for online learning. Ranked #1 in Cyprus by THE World University Rankings (Top 501-600 globally), UNIC excels in research quality and international outlook. The urban campus comprises 18 purpose-built buildings with advanced labs and facilities. UNIC actively promotes social responsibility, equality, and sustainability, and holds numerous European and international accreditations and awards. Staff and students benefit from a modern HR system, Child Protection Policy, and inclusive governance.

Global Consulting Sustainability (GCS)

Global Consulting Sustainability AS (GCS) is a consulting SME located in Norway and specialized in environmental diagnostics and sustainability applications. GCS provides the required support to clients (i.e., industries, non-government organizations (NGOs), civil societies, governments and governmental agencies, and international bodies) and complete assistance to help them integrate sustainability dimensions into their (business) strategies and their workflows. GCS expertise lies in Data driven sustainability, Digital solutions for sustainability management, Sustainability strategy support, Automated LCA solutions and EPD verification and development.

In TerraTwin, GCS leads Task 6.2 (socio-economic modelling); coordinating the socio-economic modelling of datasets covering marine and terrestrial ecosystems; the anthroposphere, and economic systems. These datasets will be integrated into a unified framework to capture the interconnections between nature, society, and the economy. GCS will also conduct a comparative assessment of different scenarios to identify vulnerabilities and regions or sectors at higher risk; and suggest opportunities for adaptation and recommendations.

AiDEAS

AiDEAS is a highly innovative technology and data solutions company based in Tallinn, Estonia, specialising in the development and deployment of cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies. With over 15 years of combined expertise, the AiDEAS team is dedicated to unlocking the value hidden in large volumes of complex, heterogeneous data — transforming raw information into actionable intelligence at a speed and scale beyond human capacity.

AiDEAS’s core portfolio is built on leading-edge AI technologies including data mining, machine learning, and deep learning, enabling data-rich and knowledge-lean automation of complex perception, classification, and predictive modelling tasks. The company has a proven track record in large-scale EU-funded R&D projects, collaborating with universities, research centres, SMEs, and industry partners across Europe.

Role in TerraTwin

Within the TerraTwin project, AiDEAS serves as the key AI and Machine Learning partner, contributing its expertise to the development of the Digital Twin of the Ecosystem (DTE) — an advanced platform designed to model the complex interplay between climate change and marine and terrestrial biodiversity.

Specifically, AiDEAS leads and contributes to the following key activities:
• AI & Machine Learning Engine: Design and training of predictive ML/DL models that match physiological scenarios of key species with changing environmental conditions, enabling biodiversity change forecasting in line with IPCC climate projections.
• Anomaly Detection & Data Analytics: Development of AI-driven anomaly detection algorithms to identify unusual patterns in multiparametric environmental datasets covering marine, land, soil, and atmospheric biodiversity.
• Environment-Species Mapping: Application of deep learning techniques to link species distribution with environmental conditions, supporting habitat identification and biodiversity resilience assessment across diverse European ecosystems.
• Predictive Scenario Simulation: Contributing to the simulation engine for various climatic scenarios, integrating AI-generated predictions with socio-economic modelling to provide holistic assessments of climate and biodiversity impact on communities and ecosystems.

Relevant Expertise

AiDEAS brings directly applicable expertise in image segmentation and classification (deep learning on complex multi-dimensional datasets), time-series forecasting and anomaly detection, and the development of AI models for pattern recognition in unstructured and heterogeneous data. The team’s background in applying ML in complex, data-rich scientific domains — including healthcare diagnostics and industrial applications — translates directly to the multi-disciplinary data challenges of the TerraTwin ecosystem Digital Twin.

As a Horizon Europe-experienced SME, AiDEAS is well-versed in the management and execution of collaborative EU R&D projects, ensuring rigorous scientific output, timely delivery of milestones, and effective knowledge transfer across the TerraTwin consortium.

LEMAL

LEMAL is a dynamic Research and Innovation SME that bridges technical expertise with sustainable development, specializing in social innovation, environmental strategy, and digital transformation. Leveraging a multidisciplinary team experienced in over 20 EU-funded projects, LEMAL offers end-to-end services in strategic communication, innovation management, and holistic sustainability assessments, including Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and go-to-market strategies.

In the TerraTwin project, LEMAL plays a pivotal leadership role by heading Work Package 7, where it drives the consortium’s dissemination, communication, and exploitation strategies to ensure the project’s climate and biodiversity solutions achieve maximum market and societal impact. Additionally, LEMAL leads Task 1.4, overseeing project-wide data management to guarantee strict compliance with FAIR principles and ethical research standards.

EV ILVO – Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO) is an independent scientific research institute of Flanders’ Government. ILVO’s task is to generate knowledge for more sustainability in the agriculture, fisheries and agri-food sectors. Starting from a strong anchor in Flanders, their work extends throughout Belgium, Europe and the rest of the world. Through multidisciplinary, ground-breaking research spanning plant sciences, animal sciences, social sciences, food technology, and marine research, ILVO employs a strategy where systems thinking, integration of tacit knowledge with new technologies, and co-creation with policymakers, industry and society all take centre stage.

In TerraTwin, ILVO leads Task 2.4 (Use Cases Definition), shaping the scientific and operational specifications of all four Digital Twin Ecosystem use cases across the project. ILVO also coordinates the Belgian use case, investigating how different projected compound flooding events will overlay with soil biodiversity in Flanders. Combining DNA metabarcoding for soil community spatial distribution with hydrodynamic flood modelling, this use case demonstrates how Digital Twin Earth methodologies can deliver actionable, policy-relevant insights, directly supporting frameworks such as the EU Soil Deal for Europe and the Biodiversity Strategy 2030.

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)

The SARTI-MAR research group at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) develops advanced scientific instrumentation for environmental monitoring, with a strong focus on marine systems. Through the OBSEA underwater observatory, UPC fosters collaboration between national and international researchers to study ocean processes related to marine ecosystems, climate change, and environmental risks. Its infrastructures enable high-resolution, long-term measurements capable of capturing critical episodic events and supporting in-situ analysis across multiple spatial and temporal scales.

Within TerraTwin, UPC leads the data harmonization activities, ensuring compatibility of heterogeneous environmental data assets across the project. UPC designs and implements workflows to standardise raw data, align metadata and semantics, and ensure interoperability across data providers. Post-harmonisation validation guarantees consistency and readiness for integration into Digital Twin services. By combining operational observatory expertise with data harmonisation leadership, UPC ensures that TerraTwin is grounded in real-world monitoring systems and supported by robust, interoperable data pipelines.