Four ideas were received on the topic of offshore energy systems and marine infrastructures as a result of the JPI Oceans’ solicitation of new Joint Action ideas in 2025, focusing on environmental monitoring and ecological impacts of offshore wind energy, as well as positive and negative impacts of man-made infrastructures on marine ecosystems.
Given their thematic convergence, these ideas were grouped into a single scoping process and formally adopted as a Joint Action by the Management Board in October 2026. The resulting Knowledge Hub synthesises existing knowledge across technologies, sectors and sea basins for three main audiences: regulatory authorities, industry and the research community.
The Joint Action aims to:
Harmonise existing knowledge for cumulative environmental impact assessments of different offshore infrastructure types and sea basins;
Facilitate cross-sectoral and cross-border knowledge exchange, including through shared open data platforms and the Digital Twin of the Ocean;
Advance understanding of how man-made structures can contribute net-positive outcomes for marine ecosystems;
Provide guidance on the operational resilience and security of critical marine infrastructures.
Europe is planning a large-scale expansion of offshore energy systems, subsea cables, pipelines and cross-border interconnectors over the coming decade, yet the considerable environmental knowledge underpinning this growth remains fragmented across technologies, sectors, and sea basins. This JPI Oceans Knowledge Hub fills a specific coordination gap by connecting experts, authorities, industry and researchers into a transnational platform. By integrating knowledge across sectors and sea basins, this initiative offers a common evidence base for environmental assessment, permitting and decision-making.