From 6 to 10 October 2025, the second onsite training session of the GEORGE project ‘Technical Forum II: Sensors’, takes place at the Marine Station Ostend of VLIZ. The event brings together technicians, engineers and scientists from European marine research infrastructures.
VLIZ technicians and scientists conduct samplings in the framework of ICOS on board the RV Simon Stevin (c) ICOS | Konsta Punkka
GEORGE is a Horizon Europe-funded project that develops novel technologies to improve ocean observations. The technologies developed will represent the next level in systematic long-term autonomous ocean observations. The 4.5-year project (2023-2027) is aimed at improving marine observations in terms of quality, coverage and continuity, through developing new technologies, particularly autonomous sensors. These new technologies will enable systematic autonomous in situ seawater CO2 system characterisation, and CO2 fluxes on moving and fixed platforms.
The project team consists of 28 partners from industry and academia alike, including three marine research infrastructures: EMSO ERIC, Euro-Argo ERIC and ICOS ERIC. Together, these three ERICs cover the whole expanse of European marine waters. The project is coordinated by ICOS ERIC and co-coordinated by EMSO ERIC.
An important component of the GEORGE project is the Technical Forums. These are designed to train and engage participants in the use, deployment and integration of novel sensor technologies for observing the ocean carbon system. It provides a unique opportunity for attendees to collaborate with technology developers, instrument manufacturers and peers, receive hands-on training, and contribute feedback to the innovation process.
For its second Technical Forum, the GEORGE project selected around 30 applicants from ICOS, EMSO and Euro-Argo and the affiliated organisations. The applicants gather at the Marine Station Ostend of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), a project partner of GEORGE and one of the ICOS Belgium research institutes, responsible for two ICOS Ocean Stations.
In contrast to last year’s first Technical Forum in Villefranche-sur-Mer, which focused on platform technologies, this edition centres on sensor technologies. For four days, participants will engage in practical sessions, working directly with sensors, data workflows and system integration, interspersed with expert lectures.
Dr Thanos Gkritzalis, Marine Sensors Engineer at VLIZ and Principal Investigator of two ICOS Ocean Stations, explains:
“Sensors, technology and the people using them are at the forefront of observations in natural sciences and so is in the ocean carbon biogeochemistry sphere. The GEORGE project is focusing on the new generation of instrumentations and sensors used for marine carbon related parameters, such as dissolved inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, pH and partial pressure of carbon dioxide, so it is essential to present the new capabilities to the users (technicians, engineers and researchers)”.
“Equally important is to attract and train new users for these sensors, so that the observational capacity is maintained and strengthened. The 2nd GEORGE Technical Forum is an important milestone for the project and a valued event for the European Ocean Carbon Observation community”
Alongside the on-site sessions, the GEORGE project team has been actively developing its online training platform. The online platform will include text and video-based training materials, how-to-guides and instruction manuals. It has been designed to enhance the sustainability and impact of the technology innovations created in GEORGE. The participants of Technical Forum II will be given the opportunity to test the platform and offer feedback.