SMARTLAGOON · Project

AI-Powered Digital Twin for Coastal Lagoon Monitoring and Management

environmentTestedTRL 5

Imagine having a live digital replica of an entire coastal lagoon on your screen — like Google Earth, but one that actually predicts what's going to happen next. SMARTLAGOON built exactly that for Mar Menor, Europe's largest saltwater coastal lagoon in Spain, combining IoT sensors, satellite images, social media data, and AI to track pollution, tourism pressure, and ecological health in real time. Think of it as a weather forecast, but for the entire ecosystem of a lagoon — so that local authorities and businesses can act before problems spiral out of control.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries represented

SMEs in consortium

project deliverables completed

38%

industry partner ratio

The business problem

What needed solving

Coastal lagoons face mounting environmental threats from agricultural runoff, urban development, and tourism — but there is no integrated system to monitor, predict, and manage these pressures in real time. When water quality collapses (as happened at Mar Menor), the economic damage to tourism, aquaculture, and property values is enormous and largely preventable with early warning.

The solution

What was built

The project built an operational digital twin web application that combines real-time IoT sensor data, satellite remote sensing, social media analysis, and AI forecasting into a single decision-support platform. The system was demonstrated on Mar Menor, Europe's largest saltwater coastal lagoon, with 22 deliverables covering everything from edge computing infrastructure to citizen science engagement tools.

Audience

Who needs this

Environmental consulting firms managing coastal zones for municipalitiesTourism boards and resort operators in lagoon or coastal areasAquaculture companies monitoring water quality near sensitive ecosystemsRegional government environmental agencies responsible for coastal protectionAgricultural cooperatives seeking to reduce their environmental compliance risk near coastal areas

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Coastal and Environmental Monitoring

SME

Target: Environmental consulting firms managing coastal zones

If you are an environmental consultancy advising municipalities on coastal zone management — this project developed an operational digital twin web application that combines IoT sensor data, satellite imagery, and AI forecasting to predict environmental degradation before it happens. Instead of reacting to algal blooms or fish kills after the damage is done, you could offer clients early warning capabilities tested on Europe's largest saltwater coastal lagoon.

Tourism and Hospitality

any

Target: Coastal resort operators and tourism boards

If you are a tourism operator or destination management organization in a coastal lagoon area dealing with unpredictable water quality events that drive tourists away — this project built real-time monitoring with edge computing and citizen science modules that track environmental and social pressures simultaneously. The digital twin tested at Mar Menor could help you anticipate water quality problems and adjust operations before they impact visitor experience.

Agriculture and Aquaculture

mid-size

Target: Aquaculture farms and agricultural cooperatives near coastal areas

If you are an aquaculture operator or farming cooperative near a coastal lagoon struggling with nutrient runoff regulations and water quality compliance — this project developed AI-driven forecasting models that track how agricultural activity impacts lagoon ecosystems. The system integrates data from 8 partner organizations across 6 countries, combining IoT infrastructure with edge computing to reduce monitoring costs and carbon footprint.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to deploy this digital twin for our coastal area?

The project does not publish licensing fees or deployment costs. As a publicly funded EU research project (RIA), core results are typically available for further development. Contact the coordinator through SciTransfer to discuss adaptation costs for your specific lagoon or coastal zone.

Can this scale beyond Mar Menor to other coastal areas?

Yes — the project objective explicitly states the intent to 'extend to other coastal lagoons' after proving the system on Mar Menor. The consortium spans 6 countries (Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland), suggesting the platform was designed with geographic transferability in mind.

Who owns the IP and can we license the technology?

IP is shared among 8 consortium partners under EU Horizon 2020 grant rules. With 3 SMEs and 3 industry partners (38% industry ratio), there are commercial entities in the consortium who may be open to licensing or joint development agreements.

What data sources does the system use?

The digital twin integrates IoT sensor networks with edge computing, remote sensing (satellite) data, social media sensing, open-data repositories, and citizen science inputs. Natural language processing is used to extract insights from social and textual data sources.

How mature is the technology — is it ready for real-world use?

The project produced an operational digital twin web application as a demonstrated deliverable, tested on Mar Menor, Europe's largest saltwater coastal lagoon. With 22 total deliverables completed over a 4-year period ending December 2024, the system has moved beyond research into a working demonstration.

Does this meet environmental regulatory requirements?

The system was designed to support policy-making procedures at multiple levels of granularity, according to the project objectives. It was co-developed with citizens and policy-makers, which suggests alignment with EU environmental directives, though specific regulatory certifications are not mentioned in available data.

Consortium

Who built it

The SMARTLAGOON consortium brings together 8 partners from 6 countries (Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland), with a healthy 38% industry ratio — 3 industry partners including 3 SMEs alongside 4 universities and 1 research organization. The coordinator is a Spanish university foundation (FUNDACION UNIVERSITARIA SAN ANTONIO), and the strong Nordic presence (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) suggests expertise in environmental monitoring and IoT deployment. For a business buyer, the presence of 3 SMEs signals that at least some partners are commercially oriented and may be open to licensing, joint ventures, or technology transfer arrangements.

FUNDACION UNIVERSITARIA SAN ANTONIOCoordinator · ES
UPPSALA UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
NORSK INSTITUTT FOR VANNFORSKNING STIparticipant · NO
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNAparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIAparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

Coordinator is FUNDACION UNIVERSITARIA SAN ANTONIO in Spain. SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction to the project team.

Order a report on this consortium See FUNDACION UNIVERSITARIA SAN ANTONIO profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how this coastal digital twin could work for your region? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the SMARTLAGOON team and help evaluate fit for your specific use case.

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