АETHERIA
Generative AI and SurrogatE digital Twins for Human-centric coastal and Earth systems Resilience & Impact Assessments (AETHERIA)
Total project cost: 9 615 582.68 EUR
Budget of Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company: 287 375.00 EUR
Start date: 1 September 2026
End day: 30 August 2026
Project duration: 36 months
The Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company (BPI Co.) is a partner in the international consortium implementing the AETHERIA project, funded under the European Commission’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.
The project brings together a total of 20 organisations from 9 European countries – Greece, Norway, Poland, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, France, Cyprus and Estonia. BPI Co. is a key partner in the implementation of the Bulgarian pilot area “Varna and the Danube Estuary”, contributing its expertise and active involvement in the project activities.
The coordinator of the AETHERIA project consortium is FORTH (Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas), Heraklion, Greece.
AETHERIA is developing an intelligent platform based on digital twins – computer-based models that reproduce, in real time, the state of marine, river and coastal areas. The platform combines artificial intelligence, satellite, sensor and meteorological data to support the forecasting and assessment of climate and environmental risks, including flooding, coastal erosion, sediment accumulation in ports, and pollution caused by plastics and nutrients.
The aim is to provide local authorities, port operators and civil protection services with timely and reliable information, including early warnings, easy-to-understand explanations through a conversational AI assistant, and concrete recommendations for action. In this way, the solutions developed within the project will support informed decision-making and contribute to strengthening the resilience and preparedness of coastal areas in the face of various risks.
The solutions are being developed in close cooperation with their future users and will be tested in four pilot areas: Crete/Cyprus, the Oslo Fjord in Norway, Varna and the Danube Estuary in Bulgaria, and Cabo de Gata in Spain.
By applying advanced digital technologies and artificial intelligence, the AETHERIA project aims to improve the understanding and management of risks associated with climate change and to support more effective planning and response in coastal and river areas.
Project Manager: Capt. Milen Todorov, Ph.D. – Director of Specialised division Vessel Traffic Services Authority, Tel: + 359 52 687 988; e-mail: m.todorov@bgports.bg