MINKE

The project

MINKE aims to integrate key European marine metrology research infrastructures, to coordinate their use and development and propose an innovative framework of “quality of oceanographic data” for the different European actors in charge of monitoring and managing the marine ecosystems. This project, through the different Integration Activities (Networking, Transnational-Virtual Access and Joint Research), aims to lay the groundwork for creating the necessary synergies among the different involved actors in the quintuple helix model of innovation, creating a new community with complementary capabilities for Ocean & Coastal Observation, that would facilitate the transition towards a blue growth socio-economic system.

Objective

MINKE would integrate key European marine metrology research infrastructures, to coordinate their use and development and propose an innovative framework of “quality of oceanographic data” for the different European actors in charge of monitoring and managing the marine ecosystems. MINKE proposes a new vision in the design of marine monitoring networks considering two dimensions of data quality, accuracy and completeness, as the driving components of the quality in data acquisition. This new vision would be framed in a quintuple helix model of innovation, incorporating all the elements involved in the monitoring network design:

• the context (ocean health), identifying the Essential Ocean variables (EOVs) as the key parameters to monitor
• the civil society (NGO, Makers community, Social media and Citizen Science platforms) as the key actors to ensure data completeness
• the academia researching new methods to ensure the accuracy and the global quality of the final products, developing tools for integrating the information of top-qualified oceanographic instruments and low-cost instrumentation.
• the industry improving the performance of the observations with new instrumentation, data-transmission systems and cost-effective technologies
• the governments that provide the legal and socio-economic frameworks to develop the proposed network

Our Contribution

Fab Lab Barcelona provides expert technological support and Citizen Science advice around the use and implementation of low cost sensors. It would aim to scale the use of low cost sensors in researchers and citizen scientists alike, and would aim to use the Fab Labs in Europe as part of the research infrastructure for environmental sensing and Citizen Science. Through an open hardware project like Smart Citizen Kit, Fab Lab would aim to demonstrate that low cost sensors are a feasible option for scientific research and that Citizen Science can provide helpful insights in more advanced scientific projects. With this collaboration between traditionally siloed actors such as researchers and scientists, we bring a fresh approach to research at different levels.

Who is it for?

MINKE is for anyone interested in understanding better how marine systems work and to measure them. MINKE provides support, sensors and infrastructure from top-level national and international research institutions as well as grassroots organizations that can help improve our oceans and protect them.

Researchers
Interested in using low cost sensors to improve data completeness and benefit from new technologies.

Citizens
Interested in participating in measuring the environment and understanding how we can better protect our oceans.

The project is funded by the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 Programme (2014-2020)
Grant Agreement No. 101008724