Iliad

What Iliad does

Iliad is an EU-funded Horizon 2020 research project that develops Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTOs) — virtual representations of the sea integrating Earth observation data, high-resolution ocean modelling, real-time IoT sensing, and AI/ML-driven forecasting on cloud infrastructure. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the project is delivered by a consortium of 56 international partners from 18 countries across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, with €17 million in funding from the European Commission under the European Green Deal initiative. The platform architecture centers on the Ocean Information Model (OIM), a common vocabulary enabling interoperability across ocean data systems, and is delivered through three primary assets: the Iliad Digital Twins Marketplace (an OGC API Features-compliant marketplace for apps, plug-ins, data, and services), the Iliad Academy (a free digital learning platform with 10+ courses and 40+ webinars), and a portfolio of 22+ pilot digital twin applications spanning marine protected areas, water quality, aquaculture risk, fisheries, pollution tracking, microplastic detection, and offshore energy.

The project does not generate commercial revenue; its €17 million is a research grant rather than booked revenue, and the marketplace's transaction economics are not disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, reaching marine researchers, policymakers, environmental agencies, and citizen scientists through conferences (OCEANS 2025 Brest), workshops, hackathons, competitions, and free educational content. Customers and end-users include MPA managers, Norwegian aquaculture operators, Ghanaian fishermen, environmental monitoring institutions (NTNU), and offshore energy developers (Eco Wave Power), with Blue Lobster IT Limited (UK) operating the website and marketplace. The three-year project formally concluded with its final symposium at OCEANS 2025 in June 2025, and the entity's post-grant continuity depends on follow-on EU funding and commercialization of marketplace assets.

Name

Iliad

Legal name

Iliad Project (operated by Blue Lobster IT Limited)

Website

https://ocean-twin.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Iliad is an EU Horizon 2020-funded consortium of 56 partners that built Digital Twins of the Ocean — interoperable platforms for marine forecasting, monitoring, and planning — serving researchers, policymakers, marine industries, and citizen scientists across Europe, MENA, and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ocean Data Analytics

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Digital Twins & Predictive Analytics (Sensor Fusion, Forecasting, Optimization) (EUAHAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI Integration & Orchestration Platforms (Connectors, Workflow, iPaaS for AI) (HDAEANAI), iPaaS (Cloud Integration Platforms) (HDAEAIAB), Data Engineering, Integration & ETL/ELT Services (BPAEAHAB)

Keywords

• Digital twin platforms
• Ocean data analytics
• Marine forecasting software
• Geospatial data platforms
• Environmental monitoring systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EU Research Grant (Horizon 2020): Iliad is funded through the European Commission's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement No 101037643, receiving €17 million in January 2022 as part of the EU's €1 billion European Green Deal initiative.
2. Marketplace Transactions: The Iliad Marketplace provides access to digital twins of the ocean from partners and innovative suppliers. The marketplace distributes apps, plug-ins, interfaces, raw data, citizen science data, synthesised information and value-added services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Iliad develops Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTOs) — virtual, interoperable representations of the sea that integrate earth observation data, high-resolution ocean modelling, real-time IoT sensing, and AI/ML forecasting for marine monitoring, prediction, and planning. The core deliverable is the Iliad Marketplace, a platform where partners and third-party vendors list digital twin applications, plug-ins, raw data, citizen science data, and value-added services, supported by the Iliad Academy learning environment and the Ocean Information Model (OIM) common vocabulary for cross-system interoperability.

Product overview

Iliad is an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project (€17 million grant) developing Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTOs) through a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering is the Iliad Digital Twins Marketplace, which provides access to ocean digital twins and related data products and services from multiple vendors. Supporting this platform are distinct modules including: the Iliad Academy (digital learning platform with courses on DTO development, FAIR data principles, and AI skills); the Ocean Information Model (OIM, a common vocabulary for ocean data interoperability); Application Package Tools and Registry (OGC-compliant packaging for data processing pipelines); Data Harmonization Pipelines (linked data approach for multi-format data integration); and specialized domain products such as DTOs for Marine Protected Areas, Water Quality Digital Twin, Aquaculture Risk Metrics (AqRM), Microplastic Sensor, PyOPIA particle analysis, GeoViz visualization, RAMANI Cloud mapping, JellyfishGO! citizen science app, and WAVY Operation Bundle. The Iliad Catalogue provides metadata access across all OIM-compliant data collections. The project integrates with key European marine data infrastructure including CMEMS, EMODnet, EDITO, OBIS, Blue-Cloud 2026, and ESRI ArcGIS. All materials on the Iliad Academy are publicly accessible and free.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Iliad Academy: Digital learning platform designed to equip professionals, researchers, and stakeholders with knowledge and tools needed to understand, develop, and apply Digital Twins of the Ocean.
• Iliad Marketplace
• Blue Tech Transfer
• Policy Toolkits
• Ocean Data Platform
• Ocean Information Model (OIM)
• JellyfishGO!
• Aquaculture Risk Metrics (AqRM)

Products and services

• Iliad Digital Twins Marketplace Web-based e-commerce marketplace platform providing access to Digital Twins of the Ocean and ocean data products and services from third-party vendors, including apps, plug-ins, interfaces, raw data, citizen science data, and value-added services. Targets enterprises, researchers, and government users across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
• Iliad Academy Digital learning platform offering free self-paced courses, expert-led webinars, documentation, and software guides covering Digital Twins of the Ocean development, FAIR data principles, AI skills, data engineering, citizen science, business models, and standards. Targets professionals, researchers, and stakeholders.
• DTOs for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Digital Twin solution for Marine Protected Areas integrating ProtectedSeas, Hub Ocean ODP, Shannon biodiversity, CMEMS sea temperature and chlorophyll, EMODnet habitat suitability, satellite imagery, bathymetry, and essential fish habitats. Targets marine protected area managers.
• Ocean Information Model (OIM) Interoperability building block providing a common vocabulary for ocean data spaces, enabling interoperability of different ocean data systems and integrated data analysis. Targets platform developers and data integrators.
• Water Quality Assessment, Technology & Research Real-time water quality monitoring Digital Twin combining in-situ sensor data from buoys and underwater stations with particle transport models for assessing water conditions, analyzing trends, predicting pollution events, and supporting MSFD compliance. Targets environmental monitoring agencies and research institutions.
• Aquaculture Risk Metrics (AqRM) State-of-the-art risk assessment platform for aquaculture providing continuous monitoring of threats like harmful algal blooms, enhanced risk analysis, and dynamic data visualization. Targets aquaculture operators and risk managers.
• Microplastic Sensor AI-based optical sensor for continuous water flow monitoring to detect microplastics (150-250 microns) in seas and oceans. Targets environmental monitoring agencies and research institutions.
• PyOPIA (Python Ocean Particle Image Analysis) Pipeline-based workflow as a standard for particle image analysis, enabling classification of particles from SilCam images including holography applications. Targets researchers and platform developers.
• GeoViz 2D/3D/4D visualization tool for parsing NetCDF files and visualizing microparticle flow distribution in interactive environments. Targets researchers and analysts.
• Application Package Registry OGC API Features compliant registry for packaged data processing pipelines enabling reusable and interoperable EO modeling. Targets developers and platform integrators.
• Data Harmonization Pipelines Linked data approach combined with knowledge graph technologies supporting multiple input data formats (CSV, Shapefile, NetCDF, JSON, RDBMS) and mapping formats (RML, YAML, YARRRML, SPARQL, CSVW). Targets data engineers and platform developers.
• Ramani Cloud Internet-based mapping service for producing, managing, and publishing spatial content for mobile and web applications. Targets platform developers and web/mobile application teams.
• WAVY Operation Bundle Collection of cloud-based services providing support for field campaigns utilizing WAVY drifters, including secure storage for drifter configuration, usage, and observations. Targets researchers running field campaigns.
• JellyfishGO! Mobile game designed to inspire youths to actively participate in citizen science through jellyfish observation. Targets citizen scientists and youth audiences.
• Ocean Data Platform Open collaborative tool that unlocks and aggregates ocean data to encourage scientific collaboration, industry transparency, and regulatory power. Targets researchers, industry, and regulators.
• StreamHandler Platform Platform for ingesting and managing large streams of data for ocean observations. Targets platform developers and data engineers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 56 international partners collaborating on Digital Twin development
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Blue-Cloud 2026coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022Joint workshop collaboration on Services and Solutions for Thematic and Local Digital Twins of the Ocean. Co-hosted booth at OCEANS 2025 Brest conference with live demonstrations and networking. Both projects contribute to the European Digital Twin Ocean ecosystem and share interoperability goals.
• EDITO (European Digital Twin of the Ocean)coreTechnology or IntegrationEDITO serves as the backbone digital infrastructure for the European Digital Twin Ocean. Iliad's tools and services are designed for interoperability with EDITO, enabling deployment through EDITO platform and datalab.
• EMODnet (European Marine Observation and Data Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationMajor marine data infrastructure providing bathymetry, habitat suitability, essential fish habitats, and other key datasets integrated into Iliad Digital Twins. Critical data source for MPA pilots and other applications.
• Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides ocean physics and biogeochemistry analysis and forecast data integrated into Iliad Digital Twins. Source of sea temperature and chlorophyll data for marine applications.
• SINTEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian independent non-profit research organisation leading technical work packages including DTO Modeling and Analytics services. Contributed Water Quality Digital Twin in Trondheim Fjord and Oslofjord Digital Twin. Won CASSINI hackathon with sustainable aquaculture modelling.
• Netcompany-IntrasoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Iliad Coordination Team. Contributed to interoperability workshops and digital twin architecture discussions.
• BLB (Bente Lilja Bye)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBente Lilja Bye is Innovation Manager of Iliad and CEO of BLB. Delivered keynote at OCEANS 2025 opening plenary on bridging science and societal transformation.
• MARISstrategicTechnology or IntegrationBlue-Cloud Technical Coordinator (Dick Schaap) contributes to Iliad workshops on interoperability, BEACON data lakes, and data harmonization for Virtual Research Environments.
• ORE Data ServicesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner demonstrating Ireland's Digital Twin of the Ocean transformation and real-world applications of Iliad's data-driven services.
• OceanLoveNewsstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner demonstrating Digital Atlas of Fisheries for Ghanaian Fishermen, showcasing applications from West Africa.
• IEEE Oceanic Engineering SocietystrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerIEEE OES Executive Vice-President Malcolm Heron participated in panel discussion at OCEANS 2025. IEEE approved first Iliad-inspired standards project for Digital Twins of the Earth (Recommended Practice for Development of Digital Twins of the Earth).
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO representative (Anton Ellenbroek) participated in high-level policy panel at OCEANS 2025 emphasizing need for inclusive digital infrastructure and public-private collaboration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AVEVA: Industrial software provider with a digital twin platform used across process industries including offshore energy and utilities; an adjacent broad incumbent whose technology could substitute for Iliad in industrial marine contexts.
• Hexagon AB (Geospatial division): Global technology company providing geospatial digital twin platforms (HxGN SDx, Luciad) for environmental, marine and infrastructure monitoring — a broader incumbent with overlapping visualization and integration capabilities.
• DHI Group: Global consulting and software firm specializing in water and marine modeling, including MIKE by DHI; a much larger commercial incumbent offering digital twin capabilities for the same blue-economy sectors Iliad targets.
• Esri: GIS platform provider whose ArcGIS technology is integrated into Iliad's digital twins; comparable as an incumbent spatial-data platform enabling marine and environmental digital twin deployments globally.

Emerging players

• Planet Labs: High-cadence Earth observation satellite operator providing daily imagery of oceans; a peer in ocean-relevant data provision that Iliad digital twins rely on (alongside EMODnet and CMEMS) for environmental monitoring.
• Saildrone: Autonomous ocean data collection company providing real-time ocean observations via unmanned surface vehicles; comparable as a complementary (or substitute) ocean data provider feeding marine digital twins like Iliad's.

Direct peers

• SINTEF Ocean: Norwegian research institute leading Iliad's DTO Modeling and Analytics work packages; a peer organization in marine digital twin research with overlapping technical capabilities in aquaculture risk modeling and water quality.
• Mercator Ocean International: Operates the Copernicus Marine Service providing ocean analysis and forecast data; functionally adjacent as the pan-European marine data backbone that Iliad's digital twins integrate with.
• Blue-Cloud 2026: Federated EU platform for marine data discovery and analytics, co-hosting workshops and booths with Iliad at OCEANS 2025; comparable in scope as a multi-partner ocean data initiative targeting FAIR and interoperable services.
• EDITO (European Digital Twin of the Ocean): The EU's flagship ocean digital twin backbone initiative. Iliad's tools are designed to interoperate with EDITO, making it both a partner and a competing/different layer in the same EU ocean digital twin stack.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ocean_twin
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrg8Ph8Z-jrNIiy-SrSaP3A
• Facebookfacebook.com/oceantwin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iliad-digital-twins-of-the-ocean

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Iliad