It’s no secret that our water systems are struggling. Between the constant flow of plastic and the toll of climate change, our waters are under immense pressure. On 15 April, at the Digital Transformation Summit in Madeira, we got together to discuss if digital tools like AI and real-time monitoring can help turn things around.
The workshop, “Digital solutions and innovations enabling healthier, safer and more resilient waters and oceans,” led by Oriane Georges from F6S, was a proper look at what is being done right now through seven different EU projects.
Real tools for a real problem & the reality check
The session focused on practical solutions being tested in our waters:
- Spotting the mess: REMEDIES and iMERMAID are using tech to track down marine litter and pollutants before they cause long-term damage.
- Watching the water: EFFECTIVE and AUTOASSESS use AI to keep a constant eye on marine environments or enhance human security, giving us much better data than we’ve ever had.
- Fixing what’s broken: Restore4Life is building a digital toolbox to make sure wetland and coastline restoration lasts.
- Helping stakeholders: ADT4Blue and TASC-RestoreMed are helping new businesses and innovations out of the lab and into the real world.
The innovations are clever, but the panel was honest about the fact that it’s not a magic fix. For this to work properly, we need the tools to answer the stakeholders needs so we can see the full picture. It’s also important to bring everyone at the same table, while making sure investors and policymakers get behind these ideas quickly.
The final word & the proud moment
The mood in Madeira was hopeful. We have the tools to protect our waters; the next step is making sure these aren’t just one-off successes, but part of a bigger, joined-up effort to look after the planet.
A huge thanks to our speakers for sharing their work: Vukašin Orsić, Samuel Almeida, Pedro Roseiro, Serena Laschi, Annamaria Vujanović, Iwa Stefanik, and Oriane Georges.
And guess what? This session ended up winning the 🏆 Best Workshop Award!
