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
- The UPC coordinates the BCNMob project, focused on the use of smart glasses with 5G technology and extended reality to increase the autonomy of visually impaired people. Biel Glasses and the Punt de Vista Foundation are also participating in the project.
- UPC, the Port of Barcelona and Siport21 will create an innovative operational traffic management system based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. This will be developed within the Compass+ project, which has been recognised as a pre-commercial project in the second call of the innovation fund managed by Ports of the State − Ports 4.0. The aim of the fund is to enhance efficiency and safety in port operations by integrating disruptive technologies that will drive the ports of the future.
- The EU.FFICIENT (European Communities of Facilitators focused on Co-creation training, Networking and Hands-on learning) project, launched in January 2024, aspires to transform and enhance the co-creation landscape across Europe. Funded under the EU framework, the project brings together a consortium of 16 partners from 12 countries, boasting a diverse blend of academic, industrial and public sector partners. The initiative, with CIT UPC standing as a one of key participants, represents an investment in the future of collaborative innovation.
- The Heat and Mass Transfer Technology Center (CTTC) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) participated in the Economic COgeneration by Efficiently COncentrated SUNlight (ECOSUN) project to develop a low-cost, concentrated thermal and photovoltaic cogeneration system that increases the system’s electrical efficiency.
