ESA and Mercator Ocean International Partner to Reinforce EU Space and Digital Ocean Collaboration

28 January 2025

Signature of the Memorandum of Intent between ESA and Mercator Ocean International: Pierre Bahurel, Director General, Mercator Ocean International; Josef Aschbacher, Director General, European Space Agency; Costas Kadis, Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, European Commission; and Simonetta Cheli, Director of ESA Earth Observation Programs. (Image credit: Mercator)

At the 17th European Space Conference, the European Space Agency (ESA) and Mercator Ocean International signed a landmark Memorandum of Intent to enhance their collaboration in Earth Observation and Digital Ocean activities.

With the UN Ocean Conference approaching in June 2025 in France, this agreement, signed under the aegis of the European Commission, marks a critical step in addressing global environmental challenges, positioning the European Union at the forefront of international ocean dialogue.

The collaboration aims to mobilize European energies and expertise to tackle urgent marine environmental challenges. It is part of the first round of the essential dialogue between space and digital ocean experts that Mercator Ocean intends to pursue at the next UN Ocean Conference and beyond in view of its transition into an intergovernmental organization. By combining advanced space observation with sophisticated ocean modeling and twinning, the alliance reinforces Europe’s leadership in global ocean conservation efforts.

The five-year agreement, spanning from 2025 to 2030, focuses on:

Strengthening scientific and technological collaborations with common Research and Development priorities
Fostering an integrative approach of digital ocean twinning
Enhancing European Space/Ocean Leadership internationally
Facilitating dialogues for responding to environmental challenges

Josef Aschbacher, Director General of ESA, stated, “This implementation agreement with Mercator Ocean International represents a crucial step in our mission to harness space technology for the benefit of our ocean. By combining ESA’s expertise in Earth observation with Mercator Ocean’s expertise in ocean modeling and prediction, we are positioned to drive important breakthroughs in understanding and protecting our marine environments.”

Pierre Bahurel, Director General of Mercator Ocean International, added, “Our partnership with ESA will drive forward the next Digital Ocean revolution. By leveraging space-based observations and innovative ocean modeling, we will provide unprecedented insights into ocean dynamics, supporting critical decisions for ocean conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. Just months before the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, we aim to mobilize the space sector community to address the challenges of the global ocean in a consistent and concerted manner.”

This collaboration builds upon the longstanding partnership within the European Copernicus program, reinforcing Europe’s position at the forefront of ocean science and technology.