TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES
OCEAN ENERGY
- Tidal power, wave power, offshore wind power, ocean thermal energy conversion, energy form currents and blue energy or salinity gradient energy.
MARITIME TRANSPORT
- Energy saving, reduction of contamination and improvement in management of energy quality and emissions.
PORT ACTIVITIES
- Studies of the traffic of boats in ports and air quality, using data from the automatic identification system (AIS) during manoeuvres.
- Production and maintenance of shipyards.
MARINE LIVING RESOURCES
- Prediction of hydro-morphodynamic and ecological evolution.
- Management of coastal bays.
- Monitoring of estuaries.
- Use of meteo-oceanographic conditions.
- Automatic learning. Modelling and display of marine agriculture data.
- Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (MTA) techniques.
- Analysis and effect of meteorological and seasonal variables on the breeding system.
- Systematic studies of localization and monitoring of marine species to understand their behaviour.
- Measure of surface circulation forced by waves breaking. Monitoring habitat degradation.
INFRASTRUCTURE
- Addressing the negative impact of coastal construction on biodiversity.
- Reduction of the acoustic impact and vibrations from these constructions.
- Establishment of standards for terminology and methodology.
- Control of wind turbines and electricity substations and numerical modelling to take advantage of wave energy.
THE BLUE BIOECONOMY & BIOTECHNOLOGY
- Studies of natural pressures on the sea and those derived from humans.
- Development of a European system for ocean observation.
- Estimations of the amount of plastic floating on the surface of the ocean.
- Comprehensive modelling to trace the movement of plastic over the ocean.
SHIPBUILDING AND REPAIR
- Manufacture of vessels. Efficient, digitalized, automated and modular production of boats.
- Integration of the industrial internet of things (IIoT).
MARINE NON-LIVING RESOURCES
- Supply of critical raw materials.
- Improvement in underwater capture equipment (collectors).
- Seawater processing techniques and desalination.
COASTAL TOURISM
- Improvement in coverage in time and space, and in the resolution and quality of marine observations.
- Water management with innovative systems to manage reserves and the planning of trips.
RELATED PROJECTS
- Microalgae-based wastewater treatment systems have demonstrated the ability to recover nutrients from wastewater and produce valuable biomass for agricultural applications while also recovering energy through the anaerobic digestion of residual biomass. In the Cyan2Bio project, in which the Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology (GEMMA) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) is participating, an additional step will be taken in the valorisation of microalgae biomass to obtain biopolymers suitable for transformation into bioplastics alongside pigments, thereby replacing fossil-based materials.
- Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and age-related disorders, have been widely studied due to their significant impact on individuals and society. So far, these are incurable and debilitating diseases that lead to progressive degeneration and death of nerve cells, resulting in cognitive and mobility impairments. Tremors, mainly at rest, slowness of movement (bradykinesia), limb rigidity, and issues with gait and balance are typical motor disorders related to Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, due to progressive muscle atrophy, these issues can lead to falls, which in turn result in further complications and risks to quality of life.
- The energy transition is reshaping the foundations of the power grid, driven by the massive deployment of renewable generation based on power electronics and the gradual disconnection of conventional fossil-based generation. In this context, grid operators will require support systems to provide flexibility, as renewable generation is highly variable.
- The Biological Treatment of Gaseous Pollutants and Odours Group (BIOGAP) at UPC is participating in the BIOMETCRI project, which aims to implement an innovative biotechnological process to recycle batteries from electric and hybrid vehicles, recovering valuable metals such as cobalt, lithium, nickel, and manganese.
