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Story overview
The North Sea is changing; data shows just how quickly
Background
On the surface, the North Sea looks familiar, but beneath the water, changes are taking place that are difficult to see with the naked eye. Climate change and the rapid growth of offshore wind require new ways of marine observation and data interpretation.
The final piece of the drinking water supply puzzle
Background
Demand for drinking water continues to rise due to population growth, increased consumption and climate change. Our current sources provide us with a reliable supply of drinking water, but they may come under pressure in the event of major disasters. That is why we are working on National Groundwater Reserves (NGRs).
Optimising scour protections for offshore wind
Background
In the experimental facilities, Deltares investigates how loose rock scour protections around offshore wind turbine foundations perform during storms and tides. The results help offshore wind developers make their designs more efficient. Pim van Steijn, expert in scour and scour protections at Deltares: “Every wind farm has a unique foundation design and therefore its own specific issues.”
The Eastern Scheldt Barrier put to the test: what can a scale model teach us?
Standing next to the basin in Deltares’ test hall, you see a miniature version of a national icon: the Oosterschelde storm surge barrier on a scale of 1:40. During tests, waves pounded against the closed gates or water swirled between the piers, just as in reality. Over a hundred sensors recorded every conceivable force in detail. Why would you build a scale model of this barrier, and what insights does it provide?
Looking after the North Sea
The North Sea is Europe’s busiest marine nature area. With 250,000 ship movements, some 2,600 operational wind turbines, hundreds of Natura 2000 areas, and thousands of professional fishermen, this 570,000 square kilometres of sea are already quite busy. Given agreements on land about a range of transitions, that certainly isn’t expected to change. What are the implications for the knowledge questions?
A sea of data for the Wadden Sea
Applying new technologies
On the surface, the Wadden Sea appears to be a timeless landscape of ebb and flow, mudflats, channels, birds, seals and salt marshes. But beneath that familiar appearance lies a world that is constantly changing, and a sea of data that helps us understand those dynamics.
eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (AI)-models
Applying new technologies
What seems impossible today may well be reality tomorrow. Digital innovation is moving fast – and at Deltares, we are keeping up. Not just by adopting new technologies, but by truly understanding them. One of the most promising directions is building explainable AI models – systems that can make complex predictions and shed light on their own reasoning. Machine Learning specialist and hydrologist Hans Korving takes us into the world of explainable AI (XAI) and explains why strong domain knowledge is essential.
Data-driven insights into coastal bathymetry for climate and coastal research
Applying new technologies
Did you know that much of the ocean floor has never been mapped in detail? While we can zoom in to street level with Google Maps, the underwater world remains largely uncharted. Deltares, together with European partners, is changing that using satellites, smart algorithms, and deep domain expertise.
Improving wave forecasts
Applying new technologies
Where fishing boats and cargo ships once dominated the seascape, offshore wind farms now define the horizon, delivering thousands of megawatts of green energy. The North Sea has become a strategic hub: busy with shipping and rich in renewable energy, food, and nature. Understanding what the sea is doing is vital. Wave forecasts play a key role in this—they help keep shipping safe, ensure storm surge barriers operate effectively, and protect offshore infrastructure. But how do you predict a natural force that is constantly changing?
New knowledge for old engineering structures
Interview
“We’re facing a monstrous task”, says Joost Breedeveld, researcher resilient infrastructure at Deltares. “In forthcoming years, more and more bridges, sluices, weirs, pumping stations and other sections of the waterways will reach the end of their lifespan, in any event, on paper.” Joost and his fellow experts Dick ten Hove from MARIN and Ad van 't Zelfde from TNO are developing a knowledge base with tools to assist administrators such as Rijkswaterstaat. This will give them an overview of the maintenance tasks for wet engineering structures and a perspective for action.
Healthy water, healthy people: how we build knowledge for a safer future
Background
Pressure on water quality and health is increasing. Climate change, pollution and other challenges are creating new health risks in water. Within its Water, Soil & Health expertise area, Deltares is working on projects such as BlueAdapt, TULIP and MOMENTUM, developing knowledge, models and practical tools to support water managers and policymakers in taking timely and effective action.
I use my ICT expertise to enable our researchers to do their work
Meet our people
Without reliable systems, advanced software and secure data infrastructure, our researchers simply couldn’t do their work. The ICT team at Deltares provides the essential building blocks: from high-performance computing for numerical simulations to data platforms that uphold FAIR principles and enable collaboration across disciplines. This gives our experts access to the data and computing power they need to develop solutions for urgent societal challenges. Leroy van Logchem is a Systems Architect. What drives him in his work at Deltares? We asked Leroy: “What drives you?”.
