AETHERIA

AETHERIA - Generative AI and Digital Twins for Coastal and Earth Systems Resilience

Funding Body: European Union

Funding Program: Horizon Europe - Framework Program for Research and Innovation

Implementation Period: 2026-2029

Coordinator: Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas - FORTH

Partners: SINTEF; Norwegian Meteorological Institute; Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center; National Observatory of Athens; Centro Tecnológico Naval y del Mar; Institute of Oceanology – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; National Research Council (CNR); Netcompany; Thales/CortAIxLabs; Thales Alenia Space; Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company; ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence; Meteorological & Environmental Earth Observation; Neuralio; MIO-ECSDE; Marine Cluster Bulgaria; Regional Ministry of Sustainability and Environment; Hvaler Municipality; ISIG.

AETHERIA is developing a platform that combines generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and digital twins of the Earth and the ocean. The project aims to make climate and coastal risk assessments easily accessible and actionable for public authorities, civil protection, port operators, and the general public.

Objectives and Main Activities

The project combines scientific expertise, digital infrastructure, and co-creation to address climate challenges through:

• Integrating real-time environmental data and ocean models;
• Developing GenAI tools and accessible decision-support services;
• Actively guiding stakeholders throughout the software design process;
• Validating the platform under real-world coastal pilot conditions.

The Role of Marine Cluster Bulgaria (MCB)

Marine Cluster Bulgaria leads and contributes to pilot testing, co-creation, ethical oversight, and business model development.

• Pilot Activities (Varna - Danube Delta): We organize co-creation labs with port operators, civil protection, local authorities, and SMEs to adapt the platform for storm traffic safety, flood warnings, and pollution monitoring.
• Ethical Oversight: We provide expert human-in-the-loop validation of AI-generated forecasts to ensure factual accuracy, safety, and compliance with GDPR and the EU AI Act.
• Business Models & Innovation: We work on sustainable business models, intellectual property strategy, and the dissemination of results to support the blue economy.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.