Projects

The demand for more natural forms of coastal defence is ever-increasing. CASSANDRA responds to this demand and investigates what is still needed to create a living lab where nature-based solutions come together in an integrated way.

The space available at sea is limited. In order to make optimum use of that space, it is important to combine various activities in the same location. That is called multi-use or multiple use of space. The Horizon 2020 project UNITED is strongly focused on this.

MarineSPOTS provides a scientific basis for the rollout of solar energy at sea. The partners model conditions such as waves and storms, and conduct research into adapted solar panels, floating structures and electrical systems. The impact on the marine ecology is also taken into consideration.

New wind farms are increasingly being constructed further out at sea. It is therefore quite a challenge to transport that energy to end users. The NEPTUNE project examines the development of the future European offshore wind power grid.

Coastbusters Bivalve reefs (and biomaterials) will deploy various systems to establish a biogenic mussel reef at an early stage and achieve a nature-based coastal defence. The systems will be set up at various locations near the coast.

Seismic surveys have revealed clay tectonic deformations in the Belgian part of the North Sea. The Clay Tectonics project investigates to which extent these deformations should and can be taken into account in the construction of offshore wind farms off our coast.

The SiteSEA project partners aim to increase the profitability of onshore aquaculture in Flanders. They have two avenues in mind to achieve this: on the one hand, reduce the costs by using industrial residual flows, and on the other hand, generate additional income via blue tourism.

Smart WaterUse is a collective project to address the water risks and smartly manage water within the (marine) food, aquaculture, textile and tourism industries. The ultimate goal of the Smart WaterUse project is to enable companies to identify and address their water- and drought-related risks.

Businesses in the blue economy need useful and practical indicators to evaluate their impact and dependence on the marine ecosystem. The MEsP project is aimed at developing a tool that enables companies to assess their performances in connection with marine ecosystems.

Creating a good planning tool for maintaining wind farms is not easy, as the specific offshore weather conditions prevent the wind turbines from being accessible at all times. The OPAL project aims to gain more insight into the environmental factors in order to develop a new planning tool.

An offshore wind farm entails many maintenance costs. The partners within the SMARAGD project are developing an autonomous vessel to transport goods to and from the wind turbines. The aim is to reduce unnecessary costs.

The Interreg 2 Seas project FACET is committed to circular solutions and sustainable business models for entrepreneurs in the tourism sector. It specifically focuses on circular applications in accommodations, waste reduction and circular business operations.