A Transparent Ocean: IRIS on the Geopolitics of Maritime Data

On the occasion of the 18th European Space Conference, organised by Business Bridge Europe and logos Public Affairs and held on 27–28 January 2026 at the Square Convention Centre in Brussels, IRIS is hosting a panel in partnership with Mercator Ocean International on “Digital Ocean: A Space of Sovereignty and Security.”

As part of the work carried out within its Ocean Programme, under the direction of Julia Tasse, IRIS has also devoted a special issue of its quarterly journal to “The Geopolitics of Maritime Data”. This dossier highlights a profound transformation: the shift from a form of power grounded in presence and control of physical flows to a form of power rooted in mastery of digital flows—of data and signals—together with the infrastructures and norms that sustain them. Maritime sovereignty can no longer be conceived without digital sovereignty. Logics of security, governance, and influence are thereby recomposed. A new phase of maritime geopolitics opens, in which control of the ocean no longer depends solely on force or law, but on the ability to see, to understand, and to possess the tools required to decide faster than others.
Through contributions by authors from academia, public and private sectors, as well as the security community, this dossier of La Revue internationale et stratégique explores political, economic, geographical, and military determinants of digital power in maritime affairs. IRIS presents three articles here.

Towards a Geopolitics of Maritime Data // Julia Tasse 

Maritime Data as a Condition for Sea Power: Stakes and Scales // Julia Tasse

The sea is thus no longer merely a space of circulation; it becomes a space of strategic observation. In this environment, opaque by nature, maritime data emerge as a strategic lever: an instrument of surveillance, a tool for anticipation, and a means of influence. Maritime data are now a core pillar of contemporary sovereignty, profoundly redefining the traditional attributes of power at sea.

The European Digital Twin of the Ocean: From Scientific Tool to Political Stake // Pierre Bahurel & Romane Lucq

This data revolution creates new articulations between knowledge and control of the seas. By modelling the ocean with increasing precision and cross-referencing physical, biological, and human data, it enables the emergence of new knowledge tools, such as digital twins, which have become critical strategic levers. The development of the European digital ocean twin provides a compelling illustration: by simulating oceanic dynamics, it strengthens anticipatory capacities, informs public policies, and supports environmental diplomacy. The establishment of data fusion platforms turns to be a full-fledged vector of influence, at the intersection of climate, technological, and geopolitical issues.