NEREIDAS: a collaborative marine data space for sustainable management

Abstract

Sustainable management of the marine and coastal environment requires decision-making based on reliable, accessible, and properly governed information. However, marine data are often fragmented across multiple stakeholders, existing in diverse formats and subject to varying conditions of use; this limits data reuse and diminishes the impact on public policy and environmental management. In this context, data spaces emerge as a key tool to facilitate secure information exchange and foster collaboration among public agencies, research centers, and productive sectors. NEREIDAS is presented as a collaborative marine data space designed to strengthen inter-institutional cooperation and support more sustainable, science-based management. This article describes the context in which the initiative emerged, its evolution and current status, and the main challenges associated with its consolidation and growth, highlighting the roles of data governance and participant trust, as well as the initiative’s potential to generate value within the blue economy ecosystem.