Located in Lisbon, Portugal, the Maritime Geospatial, Meteorological and Oceanographic Centre of Excellence plays a critical role in advancing NATO’s ability to operate effectively in the maritime environment. By providing expert support in geospatial, meteorological, and oceanographic disciplines, the Centre strengthens the Alliance’s capacity to integrate environmental factors into planning, decision-making, and mission execution.
Sponsored by Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Türkiye (with Portugal as the framework nation) the Centre was accredited as NATO’s 28th Centre of Excellence in 2021. It serves as a strategic bridge between operational users and the scientific community, promoting collaboration across public and private sectors. The Centre’s work improves environmental awareness, supports NATO transformation, and enhances operational readiness.
Advancing Interoperability Through Data Standards
A key area of focus in 2025 is the Federated Mission Networking initiative. As lead for the Meteorological and Oceanographic team, the Centre is guiding the development of data standards and exchange protocols to enable seamless sharing of environmental information across national systems. These efforts ensure that NATO forces can access and use consistent, interoperable data during joint operations.
The Centre was also a lead participant in the Coalition Warrior Interoperability Exercise (CWIX). At CWIX 2025, it spearheaded the development of a federated catalogue web service that will unify geospatial, meteorological, and oceanographic datasets from across NATO and partner nations. This catalogue provided real-time data discovery and exchange capabilities, supporting faster and more informed decision-making across domains.
Driving Innovation in Multi-Domain Exercises
Beyond technical integration, the Centre plays a key role in aligning environmental services with broader NATO exercise goals. As Deputy Lead for the Geospatial, Meteorological and Oceanographic Focus Area at CWIX, the Centre oversaw key objectives, supported planning and execution, and ensured that the new federated catalogue was accessible by other focus areas including land, air, space, and maritime. These efforts reinforce NATO’s shift toward Multi-Domain Operations and highlight the importance of environmental data in supporting situational awareness and operational effectiveness.
Supporting Transformation Through Practical Solutions
By leading projects that blend technical expertise with operational priorities, the Centre helps translate NATO transformation objectives into practical, standards-based solutions. These include tools that streamline data sharing, enhance interoperability, and expand access to real-time environmental insights. The Centre’s work benefits the entire maritime community of interest and directly supports NATO’s Allied Maritime Command in maintaining operational readiness.
Learn More
To explore how the Maritime Geospatial, Meteorological and Oceanographic Centre of Excellence is enhancing environmental awareness in support of NATO operations, visit the Centre’s official website.
