SBEP - Sustainable, Reliable and Socially Acceptable Modular Floating IslAnds for Multi-use Offshore Spaces

The surge in the global population has necessitated an increasing demand for the sustainable exploitation of space at sea. Urban, infrastructural, and industrial spaces should coexist harmoniously. FAMOS aims to contribute to the sustainable blue economy by developing innovative multi-use marine spatial concepts, leveraging the recent research outcomes of the consortium. The proposed concepts consist of modular floating islands integrating marine renewable energy devices, floating foundations, innovative mooring systems, and floating breakwaters. During the design phase, considerations such as cost-effectiveness, structural integrity and reliability, production performance, and user needs of different European sea basins will be crucial. To address the societal needs of water, energy, food, and usable space, specific islands serve each requirement, such as the production of fresh water (aqua island), wind energy (wind island), solar energy (solar island), and usable space (life island). Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, the project considers diverse facets, including social and environmental aspects, mechanical design and optimisation, dynamics of floating structures, as well as numerical and experimental methods. The pursuit of projected outcomes and impacts follows the logic of the theory of change, encompassing a transdisciplinary and participatory strategy. This approach aims for tangible socio-technical transformations. The project is led by the University of Florence (Italy) with three European partners: the University of Agder (Norway), Jagiellonian University (Poland), and the University of Cyprus (Cyprus).

The surge in global population signifies an increasing demand for urban, infrastructural, and industrial space, as well as vital resources like water, energy, and food. Addressing these challenges involves harnessing the potential of the ocean. FAMOS seeks to contribute to the development of multi-use offshore marine spatial concepts in the ocean. As existing floating marine structures are primarily restricted to near-shore areas with mild wave conditions, vast exposed offshore marine regions are untapped. As such, FAMOS will develop innovative modular floating island concepts for offshore sites. A possible layout may consist of floating islands with shared mooring solutions. This floating archipelago may be protected by very large floating breakwaters to assure necessary protection, achieving cost-effectiveness while maintaining high system reliability. To cope with the societal needs of water, energy, food and usable space, a specific island serves each need, such as the production of fresh water (aqua island), wind energy (wind island), solar energy (solar island), and usable space (life island). Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, the project considers diverse facets, including social and environmental aspects, mechanical design and optimisation, dynamics of floating structures, as well as numerical and experimental methods. The pursuit of projected outcomes and impacts follows the logic of the theory of change, encompassing a transdisciplinary and participatory strategy. This approach emphasises the actors and contextual aspects of change, aiming for tangible socio-technical transformations. It surpasses mere social acceptance concepts by involving social actors from project inception through development and completion of research and technological advancements. In this project, the University of Agder (Norway) will lead the conceptual development of modular islands with connection systems in close collaboration with other project partners.