ICATMAR

What ICATMAR does

ICATMAR (Institut Català de Recerca per a la Governança del Mar) is a Catalan marine research institute operating as a cooperation body between the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) and the Generalitat de Catalunya. Founded in 2017, with continuous fisheries monitoring programs initiated in 2019 and recreational fisheries monitoring added in 2020, the institute serves the Catalan government, fishing guilds (Confraries), the wider scientific community (including STECF for EU Mediterranean fisheries), and the general public. Its work is organized into two divisions — fisheries advisory and operational oceanography — staffed by approximately 50 specialists in marine biology, oceanography, and information systems.

The institute's product portfolio rests on two pillars. The Fisheries Advisory Service conducts continuous monitoring of commercial fishing (bottom trawling since 2019, purse seining since 2021), maintains a marine recreational fisheries monitoring programme, contributes to marine protected area management (20 permanent no-take zones totaling 462 km² established in 2022), and produces annual stock assessments, economic reports, and marine litter studies using the LBSPR, SPiCT, and SS3 models. The Operational Oceanography Service, launched in 2023, is built around a 7-antenna High-Frequency Radar network completed in 2024 that delivers real-time surface current measurements at 3x3 km resolution across approximately 200 km of coastline and up to 60 km offshore, combined with numerical oceanographic models producing 3-day forecasts of sea surface temperature, currents, salinity, waves, and atmospheric variables. Data is disseminated through three interactive web viewers — Fisheries Viewer (VISAP), Oceanographic Observations Viewer, and Forecast Viewer — plus an open data repository accessible via FTP and ERDDAP, with integrations of Copernicus satellite data, EMODnet Seabed Habitats, EUMETSAT, and the Catalan Meteorological Service.

ICATMAR is a publicly funded non-commercial institution. All data, forecasts, and analytical services are provided free of charge, and funding flows from the Generalitat de Catalunya through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Natural Environment, supplemented by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) grants channelled through partners such as BlueNetCat. The institute monetizes its position as the designated scientific advisor to Catalan maritime policy and translates that role into recurring reports, co-management participation, and regulatory inputs (e.g., the September 2024 Resolució ARP/3253/2024 on Marine Recreational Fishing). Distribution is hybrid: open web-based self-serve data access for the broad public and scientific community, combined with field-level transfer sessions at fishing guild ports for the commercial fishing sector.

Name

ICATMAR

Legal name

Institut Català de Recerca per a la Governança del Mar

Website

https://icatmar.cat

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ICATMAR is a Catalan public marine research institute that continuously monitors commercial and recreational fisheries along the Catalan coast and provides operational oceanography services, serving the Generalitat de Catalunya, fishing guilds, the scientific community, and the public with free data products and policy advice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Research and Oceanographic Services

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

SIC

Services-Business Services, Nec (7389)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADALAI

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Climate, Environment & Sustainable Development Programs

Keywords

• Marine fisheries monitoring
• Operational oceanography services
• Stock assessment science
• Oceanographic forecasting
• Marine data services

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: ICATMAR is a public research institution funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Natural Environment, operating as a cooperation organ between ICM-CSIC and the regional government

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ICATMAR (Institut Català de Recerca per a la Governança del Mar) is a public research institute that delivers two core service pillars: a Fisheries Advisory Service that continuously monitors commercial and recreational fishery resources along the Catalan coast (including onboard sampling, stock assessment, and marine litter monitoring) and an Operational Oceanography Service that measures, analyzes, and forecasts the physical state of the sea (currents, temperature, salinity, waves, sea level) using a 7-antenna High-Frequency radar network and numerical models. All data, forecasts, and visualizations are provided through web-based viewers and an open data repository free of charge to support marine governance and scientific research.

Product overview

ICATMAR is a Catalan marine research institute operating as a cooperation body between the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) and the Generalitat de Catalunya. Its product portfolio centers on two core service pillars: a Fisheries Advisory Service and an Operational Oceanography Service. The Fisheries Advisory Service encompasses a continuous monitoring programme for commercial and recreational fishing resources, a Marine Litter Monitoring Programme, and Marine Protected Areas management support. The Operational Oceanography Service is built around a 7-antenna High-Frequency Radar Network deployed along the Catalan coast, which feeds real-time and forecast oceanographic data through three interactive viewers: the Oceanographical Observations Viewer (HF Radar), the Forecast Viewer (Prediccions Operacionals), and the Fisheries Viewer (VISAP). A Data Service provides open data access via FTP and ERDDAP. All services are accessible through icatmar.cat, with data disseminated via publications and knowledge-transfer sessions with the fishing sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HF Radar Network (Xarxa de Radars d'Alta Freqüència) A network of 7 high-frequency radar antennas deployed along the Catalan coast (Cap de Creus, Cap sa Sal/Begur, Tossa de Mar, Arenys de Mar, Port de Barcelona, Port Ginesta, Segur de Calafell) providing real-time surface current measurements with 3x3 km resolution covering approximately 200 km of coastline and up to 60 km offshore, for use by the scientific community, fishing sector, and public stakeholders.
• Fisheries Viewer (VISAP) Interactive viewer for browsing commercial fishing fleet data in Catalonia, covering bottom trawling (from January 2019) and purse seining (from November 2021). Provides catch composition, length frequency distributions, sampling maps, and integrates Copernicus satellite and EMODnet Seabed Habitats data for the Catalan fishing sector and scientific community.
• Forecast Viewer (Prediccions Operacionals) Interactive viewer for exploring 3-day operational oceanographic forecasts of sea currents, temperature, salinity, and waves in the Catalan Sea, including animated visualizations of surface transport. Used by the fishing sector, maritime users, researchers, and the public.
• Oceanographical Observations Viewer Interactive web-based viewer displaying oceanographic observations from ICATMAR's high-frequency radar network, including surface current data for the Catalan Sea area, with additional variables (temperature, salinity, waves, atmospheric data) being added as operational oceanography services come online.
• Data Service Data sharing service providing global and open access to collected operational oceanography and fishing resource data through an FTP service and ERDDAP endpoint, for the scientific community and research purposes.
• Fisheries Advisory Service Continuous monitoring programme for fishery resources (both recreational and commercial) along the Catalan coast, encompassing onboard sampling, fish auction sampling, stock assessment, and knowledge transfer to the fishing sector and government stakeholders.
• Operational Oceanography Service Service measuring, analyzing, and predicting physical characteristics of the sea — ocean currents, water temperature and salinity, waves, and sea level — in the north-western Mediterranean. Includes the HF radar network, buoy deployments, and numerical oceanographic models serving government, fishing, scientific, and public users.
• Marine Recreational Fisheries Monitoring Programme Continuous monitoring programme for marine recreational fishing in Catalonia, covering three modalities (shore-based, boat-based, and spearfishing). Provides data on catches, species records, and participation to inform fisheries management for the Generalitat de Catalunya and recreational fishing associations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 462 km² of marine protected areas established through co-management model with fishing guilds
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Ajuntament de BarcelonaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Ajuntament de Barcelona funds the 'Mar de Signes' project, which expands Catalan Sign Language (LSC) marine vocabulary in collaboration with ICATMAR.
• Binomils (Expert Group)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Expert group collaborating with ICATMAR on the 'Mar de Signes' project for developing Catalan Sign Language marine vocabulary.
• Aquàrium de BarcelonaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Supporting partner in the 'Mar de Signes' project for Catalan Sign Language marine vocabulary development.
• Port Vell de BarcelonaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Supporting partner in the 'Mar de Signes' project for Catalan Sign Language marine vocabulary development.
• DortokaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Supporting partner in the 'Mar de Signes' project for Catalan Sign Language marine vocabulary development.
• Associació Dones de la MarminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Supporting partner in the 'Mar de Signes' project for Catalan Sign Language marine vocabulary development.
• ICM-CSIC (Institut de Ciències del Mar)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICM-CSIC is a core partner as ICATMAR operates as a cooperation organ between ICM-CSIC and the Generalitat de Catalunya. ICM-CSIC provides scientific expertise and research infrastructure for marine sciences.
• Generalitat de CatalunyacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Generalitat de Catalunya, specifically the Department of Agriculture, is the governing body that funds and oversees ICATMAR operations as a public research institute.
• BlueNetCat (Maritime Network of Catalonia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlueNetCat, funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya and ERDF, collaborated with ICATMAR to develop the fisheries data viewer (VISAP) and forecast viewer applications.
• Copernicus (European Earth Observation Programme)majorTechnology or IntegrationICATMAR integrates satellite-derived ocean physical variables (sea surface temperature, chlorophyll concentration) from Copernicus into their fisheries data viewer and oceanographic analyses.
• Servei Meteorològic de CatalunyamajorTechnology or IntegrationMeteorological data provider collaborating on oceanographic buoy network development and integrated with ICATMAR's operational oceanography services.
• Catalan Fishing Guilds (Confraries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContinuous collaboration with fishing guilds across Catalonia for fisheries monitoring data collection, co-management of marine protected areas, and knowledge transfer sessions.
• Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish oceanographic institute collaborating with ICATMAR to implement the Catalan marine protected areas model in other regions of Spain.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ifremer: France's national marine research institute operates HF radar networks along the French coast, conducts fisheries stock assessments, and provides operational oceanography. Compares to ICATMAR as a much larger, national-scale, multi-mission equivalent.
• Puertos del Estado: Puertos del Estado operates Spain's national port-oceanographic network (REMPOR, REDMAR) delivering real-time sea-state and current data from buoys and tide gauges across Spanish ports. Comparable to ICATMAR's oceanographic monitoring mandate at a broader national scale.
• Marine Institute (Ireland): Ireland's national marine agency conducts fisheries monitoring, ocean observing, and stock assessments, providing a multi-mission state marine-research equivalent to ICATMAR at a larger national scale.
• Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC): IEO is Spain's national oceanographic institute, providing fisheries monitoring, stock assessment, and oceanographic research across all Spanish waters. ICATMAR already collaborates with IEO to replicate its MPA model in other regions, positioning IEO as a national-scale incumbent.

Direct peers

• AZTI (Basque Research and Technology Alliance): AZTI is a Spanish marine and food research center conducting fisheries stock assessments, sustainable fisheries research, and oceanographic monitoring for the Basque Country. Directly comparable to ICATMAR's fisheries advisory and monitoring mandate at a regional level.
• SOCIB (Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System): SOCIB operates an analogous model in the Balearic Islands, combining HF radar, oceanographic modeling, and coastal observing systems to deliver operational oceanography and marine data services. Direct peer to ICATMAR's Operational Oceanography Service, differing mainly in geographic region.

Others

• Copernicus Marine Service: Copernicus provides pan-European satellite-derived oceanographic data (SST, chlorophyll) that ICATMAR integrates into its fisheries and oceanographic products. Functions as a complementary upstream data provider rather than a direct competitor.
• EMODnet (European Marine Observation and Data Network): EMODnet provides open marine data layers (including Seabed Habitats, integrated into ICATMAR's fisheries viewer). Acts as a data infrastructure enabler that ICATMAR consumes rather than competes with.

Regional players

• Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS): SAMS operates the Scottish Marine Robotics Facility and conducts fisheries and oceanographic research for the UK. Comparable to ICATMAR as a regional marine research organization combining operational oceanography and ecosystem/fisheries science.
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon / Institute of Coastal Ocean Dynamics: Hereon operates Germany's coastal ocean-observing infrastructure including HF radar systems and numerical modeling for the North Sea and Baltic. Comparable capability portfolio to ICATMAR's operational oceanography, but serving a different European regional sea.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ICATMAR1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icatmar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ICATMAR