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
- Researchers in the Polymer Materials and Textile Chemistry (POLQUITEX) research group of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) participate in the WAVE project, who aim is to recycle elastomeric waste (such as tyres and scraps from building roofs), for its subsequent reuse and recovery in various industrial sectors (automobile, civil, electrical).
- The Centre for Sensors, Instruments and Systems Development (CD6) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) is taking part in PhotonHub Europe. This is a European project to establish a single pan-European hub for innovation in photonics as a one-stop shop solution that brings together the pioneering photonics solutions, facilities, knowledge and experience of 53 European partners.
- A study by the Centre for Land Valuation Policy (CPSV) at the UPC analyses the average increase in temperature and heat waves in the main cities of Spain. The average increase in temperature was 3.54°C between 1971 and 2022. Over these last 50 years, summer days have increased from 90 to 145, which represents a two-month increase in hot days. Tropical nights have gone up by 18 from an average of 45 to 63.
- Currently, concerns about sustainability are increasing in the construction sector, due to its contribution to climate change. Approximately a third of carbon dioxide emissions are produced by this sector in the construction phase and in the functioning of buildings.
