From your point of view, what are the main technological trends in engineering and modelling for ocean applications today, and where is the greatest potential for impact in the coming years?

The most striking trend we are observing is the convergence between high-fidelity numerical modelling capabilities and real-time on-site monitoring systems. For decades, ocean engineering operated in silos: advanced numerical models (CFD, oceanographic models such as SWAN, MOHID or REEF3D) were design and research tools, disconnected from the actual operation of the systems. This is changing.

In my opinion, the greatest potential for impact in the coming years lies in the continuous integration of operational data - acoustic, oceanographic and environmental - with dynamically updated simulation models. This opens the door to real-time decision-making in contexts that previously depended on one-off measurement campaigns and post-hoc analyses. For sectors such as offshore renewable energies, maritime defence and ocean conservation, this change is transformative.

The greatest potential impact lies in the continuous integration of operational data - acoustic, oceanographic and environmental - with simulation models that are updated dynamically.

What role are technologies such as advanced CFD, HPC and digital twins playing in the transformation of sectors such as offshore energy, naval and ocean observation? 

At blueOASIS, we work with these technologies on a daily basis and see their impact in a concrete way. CFD and HPC are no longer exclusive to large national laboratories or companies with huge R&D budgets. The democratisation of access to computational infrastructures - namely through HPC projects such as Deucalion - is allowing smaller teams to apply high-fidelity models to real problems, with much shorter iteration cycles.

Digital twins represent the next step: not just simulating, but creating a dynamic virtual replica of an asset or an environment that evolves with real data. At blueOASIS, we have developed ocean digital twins that integrate real-time in-situ acoustic data, oceanographic models and AI - applied to both ocean observation contexts and offshore infrastructure. In the naval sector, for example, the analysis of hulls, superstructures and almost all subsystems of vessels (small or large) is already done with high-resolution CFD where previously only empirical correlations were used. Offshore, extreme response analysis of floating structures - as we did for an electric ferry pier in Aveiro, for offshore wind turbines or for the Oceano Fresco platforms - combines dynamic modelling with real sea data. The common denominator is always the same: more rigour, with less time and cost.

Digital twins represent the next step: not just simulating, but creating a dynamic virtual replica of an asset or an environment that evolves with real data.

What factors do you consider critical to transforming advanced modelling and simulation capabilities into applied, commercially viable and scalable solutions?

This is honestly the central challenge of our sector. I see three factors that make all the difference:

Firstly, the obsession with deployability. A solution that works in a laboratory but cannot be installed and maintained autonomously in a real context is not a scalable solution. In developing Hydrotwin, we have invested heavily in making the hardware robust, modular and easy to install, precisely because the barrier to adoption is rarely technological, but operational.

Secondly, the data and value models must be clear to the customer. Many advanced monitoring solutions sink because they produce large volumes of data that nobody knows how to interpret or integrate into their workflows. Our approach is to provide processed intelligence, not just raw data, with visualisations and alerts that answer concrete operational questions.

Thirdly, early integration with regulatory and funding flows. Solutions that anticipate emerging regulatory requirements (such as European underwater noise directives or NATO requirements for maritime monitoring) have a natural competitive advantage. The market will have to adopt these technologies; the question is who arrives first with a mature solution.

How do you see the market evolving for solutions based on simulation and optimisation (e.g. performance, energy efficiency, underwater noise), and what opportunities are emerging?

The market is clearly moving from commissioning one-off studies to acquiring ongoing capabilities. Instead of "give me an underwater noise analysis for this project", more sophisticated clients are starting to ask "how can I have this capability integrated into my operation?". This represents a fundamental change in the business model - from a project to a recurring product or service.

In offshore renewable energies, performance optimisation and underwater noise monitoring during the construction and operation of wind farms (fixed and floating) is becoming a requirement, not an option. The FLOATFARM project, in which we participate as part of the consortium led by TU Berlin under Horizon Europe, is a good example of this trend - the next generation of floating turbines will require a level of integrated modelling and monitoring that is still state-of-the-art today. All to design future wind platforms that are more efficient, but also more environmentally friendly.

In the naval and harbour sector, we see growing opportunities in critical infrastructure safety and noise management - two areas where European regulation is tightening and where numerical simulation and acoustic monitoring have a lot to say.

How do you see the role of dual-use technologies in this field (e.g. civil and defence applications), and how can they influence technological evolution and market access? 

Dual-use is a structural reality in this sector, not an exception. The ocean is simultaneously a space for environmental conservation, economic exploitation and national security, and the technologies that make it possible to monitor and understand what goes on underwater serve all these dimensions.

At blueOASIS, we develop technology with direct application both in defence contexts - as we demonstrated in REPMUS 2021 to 2025, in collaboration with the Portuguese Navy and the Hydrographic Institute, as part of NATO's Digital Ocean - and in marine conservation, oceanography and the offshore industry. This duality is not just a commercial strategy; it is a natural consequence of developing high-performance underwater monitoring technology.

The impact on market access is real and positive: defence programmes and NATO projects tend to be demanding from a technical and operational point of view, which requires technological maturity that then directly benefits civilian applications. And the reverse is also true: the scale and diversity of civilian use cases (from marine bioacoustics to port infrastructure monitoring) speeds up development and reduces costs, making solutions more accessible for security and defence applications too.

The main challenge in this area remains navigating between different decision cycles and certification requirements - the defence sector has its own processes, which don't always align with the speed of development of a deep-tech company. But European support mechanisms - including the EDF and NATO programmes for innovation - are creating increasingly practical bridges.

The ocean is simultaneously an area of environmental conservation, economic exploitation and national security.