Coastal urban development incorporates a wide range of development activities that are taking place as a result of the water element existing in the fabric of the city. This element may have different forms (i.e. a bay, a river, or a brook) but in almost all cases the surrounding area constitutes what maybe considered as the heart of the city. Every city that incorporates the water-element in its fabric is confronted with the fundamental requirement of developing policies for driving development in the surrounding area, while balancing between: a) economic growth, b) protection of the environmental, and c) safeguarding social cohesion. This requirement is tightly connected with the concept of Urban Resilience, which is the capacity of individuals, communities, businesses and systems within a city to survive, adapt and grow no matter what chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience. In developing policies that add value to the resilience of a city, we shift the existing paradigm of policy making, which is largely based on intuition, towards an evidence-driven approach enabled by big data. Our attention is placed on policies related to the water element. Our basis is the sensing infrastructures installed in the cities offering demographic data, statistical information, sensor readings and user contributed content forming the big data layer. Methods for big data analytics are used to measure the economic activity, assess the environmental impact and evaluate the social consequences. The extracted pieces of evidence are used to inform, advice, monitor, evaluate and revise the decisions made by policy planners. Finally, effective policies are developed dealing with: a) the economic and urban development of Thermaikos Bay, Thessaloniki, b) the transformation of Düden Brook into a recreation and park area, Antalya, c) the development of a Storm Water Plan, Antwerp, and d) the review of the Country Development Plan in the River Lee territory, City of Cork.

BIOSENSEI develops a real-time, multiplexed, end-to-end, tailored and reliable biosensor platform, using cellular responses, for detection of abiotic pollutants - Nutrients, Estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances); and biotic pollutants - Microcystins. Cellular biosensors from bacterial variants will be genetically engineered using, RNA-RNA interactive and type III CRISPR-Cas-mediated transduction cascades. These biosensors are encapsulated and immobilised at bi-modal transducers (nanoelectrochemical and optical) to provide highly reliable, tuneable and sensitive detection of the target pollutants. Bespoke ultra-low power analog front ends and autonomous IoT end-nodes will enable operation and data acquisition from biosensors and facilitate easy integration in existing LoRa networks enabling real-time data feeds. Neural computing algorithms are embedded on the edge to correct for sensor aging and interferents in the (bio)chemical transduction and improve sensor data accuracy. An online dashboard will be developed to allow end users to visualize data. BIOSENSEI will embed the whole R&D process within a safe-and-sustainable-by-design framework to guarantee environmental safety related to risks of potential release into the open environment. Biosensors will be scalable, adaptable to different applications in water & soil and will be deployed in four different use-cases. The consortium is vertically integrated bringing expertise in cellular biology, surface chemistry, nanoelectronics fabrication, hardware integration, regulatory and industrial sampling and artificial intelligence. BIOSENSEI directly addresses HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-6 Biosensors and user-friendly diagnostic tools for environmental services and will allow cellular biosensors to be deployed outside laboratory settings for the first time the project and has the potential to considerably contribute to fulfil EU vision on zero-pollution.

A-AAgora aims to develop the implementable NbS (Nature based Solutions) through innovative governance structures and technological architecture. It targets to boost resilience to climate change and mitigating its impacts in coastal areas. It identifies synergies by promoting a deliberative process to complement other priority areas within the EC Mission - by setting a Community of Practice and developing a digital knowledge system. It develops NbS at three replicable demonstrators (Demo-PT, Demo-IE, Demo-NO), which can upscaled. The project seeks improved public engagement and enhanced decision-making processes at different political levels based on scientific knowledge and targeted social and economic awareness, using an EBM approach. It builds on the successful implementation of NbS at the Demo’s to which the necessary socio-technological tools will be produced as required for a realistic EBM planning cycle (up to TRL/SRL 7). The Living Lab concept will foster the exchange synergies at multiple scales between researchers and users, decision-makers and local communities, industry and SMEs. A-AAgora will demonstrate that restoration of aquatic ecosystems is possible at a large scale through reduction of pressures, EBM, and effective NbS including blue reforestation to boost coastal resilience to climate change impacts. As well, the A-AAgora will make the most of cross-Mission synergies, by targeting marine ecosystem restoration in coastal communities particularly vulnerable to the risks of sea level rise that urgently need to adapt to ensure their population and infrastructure are safe, climate-proof and weather-resilient. The design of innovative architecture, enabling interoperability with other systems and will also foster a more ‘digital ocean’.