PANEL SESSION
DTO: Toward standardization
Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO) leverages the availability of new data from a wide range of land-based sources and cutting-edge IT infrastructures (cloud computing, high-performance computing, the Internet of Things, big data, social media, etc.) in an inclusive, virtual/augmented, and engaging manner to address all challenges related to land-based data. In general, DTOs use a large volume of diverse data, employing a semantically rich and data-agnostic approach, to enable simultaneous communication with real-world systems and models. By combining real-time observations, predictive models, and interactive visualization, DTOs enable scientists, engineers, policymakers, and maritime operators to anticipate risks, test interventions, and make safer, better-informed decisions. Examples of applications include ensuring the safety of shipping routes during extreme weather conditions, planning and monitoring offshore infrastructure, managing risks associated with fishing fleets, and modeling the safety implications of maritime decarbonization.
DTOs contribute to the implementation of the European Green Deal and the EU Digital Strategy, as well as to the achievement of the goals of the United Nations Decade of the Ocean and the Sustainable Development Goals. The European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EU DTO) is a flagship initiative launched by the European Commission aimed at creating a dynamic virtual replica of the ocean, powered by artificial intelligence. It combines real-time satellite and in situ marine data with advanced computer models to simulate ocean conditions, test different scenarios, and inform decision-making.
A major gap remains: there are no specific international standards governing how DTOs are designed, validated, compared, or made interoperable. Many DTO projects around the world use independently developed architectures, data formats, and validation methods, which can hinder their interoperability. This fragmentation can also pose challenges for maritime safety as DTOs are integrated into daily maritime operations. Decision-makers relying on DTO results cannot easily verify whether those results are reproducible or reliable. Engineers cannot confirm that systems from different sources will work together reliably. Regulators and maritime authorities lack the necessary agreed-upon frameworks to confidently assess safety data from DTOs. In the absence of standards, the enormous potential of DTO technology to make the ocean safer risks being undermined by inconsistency, incomparability, and a lack of accountability in the development and use of these systems.
Following an introduction to the concepts of the DTO, this roundtable discussion will address the key aspects of implementing the DTO, particularly the observation component-which could be the subject of a common standard—namely the protocols used for collecting marine data.
