+ATLANTIC is a Collaborative Laboratory that transforms scientific knowledge into practical solutions for ocean, coastal, climate, and environmental challenges. By combining Earth observation, data science, AI, and numerical modelling, it delivers user-oriented products that support governance, innovation, and public awareness, all with the mission to drive a sustainable transition across the Atlantic region. 

The challenge

Mediterranean cities face multiple climate risks, from heatwaves to sea level rise and storms, all amplified by coastal urbanisation, tourism pressure, ageing populations, and migration trends. These vulnerabilities affect health (heat-related mortality and pollution-linked illness), energy (changing demand and reduced hydropower during droughts), and infrastructure (damage from unpredictable floods and storms driven by growing climate variability). 

The satellite solution

Earth Observation provides essential data to anticipate and manage climate-related risks in Mediterranean cities, particularly heat extremes and sea level rise. By analysing satellite-derived information on land use, vegetation, and built-up areas, EO helps detect and quantify the Urban Heat Island effect, where heat accumulates in densely built environments. Long-term geospatial datasets feed into data-driven models that improve local weather forecasts and enable the creation of early warning and adaptation tools. These EO-based systems are strengthened by in-situ measurements and computing power, with many initiatives supported through European public funding. 

The results

The integration of EO data into local planning enhances cities’ awareness and preparedness for climate-induced extremes. Beyond heatwaves, the approach supports a broader understanding of interconnected hazards and their impacts on health, infrastructure, and energy. Through +ATLANTIC’s multi-hazard platform AtlanticSENSE, decision-makers and citizens can now benchmark local risk profiles, access transparent and traceable information, and strengthen their literacy on environmental and climate risks, fostering more resilient and informed urban communities. 

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Sogrape Vinhos is a Portuguese family-owned company, based in Porto. In 1942, with European markets in turmoil and supplies cut off by war, its founder Fernando van Zeller Guedes decides to create a wine for the Brazilian market. This resulted in the creation of the first global Portuguese wine brand—Mateus Rosé—which is currently sold in more than 120 countries. Today Sogrape Vinhos owns over 750 hectares of vineyards in all the key Portuguese wine regions. It is the largest family-owned wine company in Portugal.

The Challenge

The taste and character of wine are heavily influenced by weather conditions. The effects of climate change —droughts, diseases, soil erosion, heavy rainfall and hail — can severely damage grapes. Entire crops can be compromised due to heat or delayed harvests. Thus, precise soil and climate information are vital for vineyard management and winemaking practices. To obtain such information, the company used to rely on the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute’s weather stations. However, due to their distant location from the vineyards, on many occasions the data was unusable.

Thus, in 2009 the company launched the I.C.O.N.E project (co-financed by the Portuguese government with approx. 25%). The project aimed to survey consumer preferences in order to tailor the company’s production strategy accordingly. Identified preferences could be transposed into winemaking protocols and more specifically, into grape quality specification. To achieve these specifications more and better geo-information and climate data were needed.

The Satellite Solution

To obtain more reliable data, a network of 21 automatic weather stations was installed directly in the company vineyards. Detailed vineyard data was then merged with production, climate, soil and grape physiology data on 1:10 000 scale digital maps. To monitor vines individually, 20 cm resolution aircraft remote sensing vegetation data was used. For seasonal (3-6months) and long term (3-5 years) forecasts, Sogrape Vinhos also uses data from the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI Climate Explorer), the European Meteorological Center (ECMWF) and the International Research Institute on Climate of Columbia University.

The Result

On-site weather stations allowed the company to acquire almost real-time weather data with an availability rate of 85-90%. Due to better forecasting, Sogrape Vinhos saves over €30,000 per year by limiting treatments, tractor fuel and labour. By monitoring the vine’s water needs relative to soil moisture, the producer has managed to save 25 % of its water consumption for irrigation while increasing production and grape quality by 15%, as water alocations are determined on a block-by-block basis and in function of each year’s rainfall and temperatures.

Furthermore, the data and protocols developed through consecutive projects, has fuelled subsequent research and work on climate adaptation measures for vineyard’s sustainability. The company is currently working together with other international partners in setting up a new global framework for vineyard adaptability to climate changes.

Galileo Galilei once said that «wine is sunlight held together by water». In Sogrape, we are combining the most advanced terrestrial and space technologies to make sure we will never be in short supply of both sunlight and water for our vineyards. This will provide our winemakers with the best and most diverse grapes to keep on crafting great wines for all consumersAntonio Américo da Rocha Graça,  Research and Development Sogrape Vinhos S.A. 

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Porto is the second largest city of Portugal and one of the oldest urban centres in Europe. Its Tourism Department is in charge of making available information to orientate visitors through the city’s many sites of cultural interest, while seeking for opportunities and partnerships to increase the cost-effectiveness of measures to promote Porto’s heritage with locals and foreign tourists. The Tourism Department also offers a tourist information web portal that includes a special section dedicated to mobile applications for smartphones and tablets.

The challenge

Today, tourists tend to travel more frequently than in the past and for shorter periods of time. Traditional means of planning holidays and guiding visitors are not sufficiently flexible to adapt to the needs of such “touch-and-go” tourists, often needing precise and relevant information on the spot during such brief holidays. Statistics on the profiles of short-stay visitors revealed that they tend to have a high level of education and income and are familiar with technology and innovative applications. The latter finding encouraged the Tourism Department to investigate the potential of mobile applications.

The satellite solution

The Municipality partnered with the private company LatitudeN in developing “Farol Porto”, a travel application relying on Porto tourist information. Tourists can download “Farol Porto” on their smartphones and access geo-localised information and tips during short trips, with no need for extensive planning. The mobile application generates fully personalised tours, adapted to the user’s interests and available time, and alerts the tourist of places worth seeing in real time, according to their proximity.

The result

Farol Porto became the official city guide in 2011. It makes the web portal more effective and easy to use on the go, and matches the needs of short-term tourists, enabling them to make the most of their time in Porto without having to carry around paper maps and guides. The Tourism Department recognises the value added by the application, which contributes to enhancing the Porto brand. According to the data provided by LatitudeN, Farol Porto has been downloaded over 2 000 times.

“The mobile city guide increases the offer of the Porto’s Tourism Department meeting the demand of visitors in an innovative way.”

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