Aurora is carried out in collaboration with the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and will develop and validate high-fidelity numerical simulation models
The EPhysLab group of the Marine Research Centre (CIM) at the University of Vigo coordinates the national project Aurora, focused on improving the resilience, design, and optimization of coastal protection structures. Its main objective is to develop, validate, and apply next-generation numerical modelling tools to address the stability of armour units in breakwaters (key elements to ensure the stability of these infrastructures under increasingly extreme sea conditions), while also deepening the understanding of the physical processes that trigger their instability.
The project is carried out in coordination with the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). It has a total budget of €369,375 funded under the 2024 Knowledge Generation Projects call, from the State Research Agency of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. It began in September 2025 and will run until August 2028. The initiative has a strong international dimension, with participation and collaboration from researchers at institutions such as the Universitat Politècnica de València, the University of Porto, KU Leuven, Uppsala University, and the Japanese company Fudo Tetra Corporation. “This collaboration network strengthens the project’s capacity to integrate cutting-edge knowledge in modelling, experimentation, and practical application in marine engineering,” the organization states.
Faced with the critical needs of modern port and coastal management, Aurora, the team in charge indicates, will make it possible to significantly advance the understanding of breakwater stability through the synergistic combination of next-generation numerical modelling (University of Vigo) and rigorous physical modelling (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech). “This coordinated approach leverages the strengths of both institutions, enabling the development and validation of advanced numerical tools to predict the stability of breakwater armour units under various wave and hydrodynamic conditions,” they explain. Model validation will be carried out at the ICIEM-MARHIS ICTS facility.
High-fidelity numerical models
Aurora is structured into two complementary subprojects: an experimental one called Aurora-UPC, led by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, and another focused on numerical modelling called Aurora-Num, directed from the Ourense campus by EPhysLab researchers Alejandro Jacobo Cabrera and María Teresa de Castro. The UVigo team will develop high-fidelity numerical models capable of assessing the resilience and optimization of these breakwater structures under real engineering conditions. The work will include analysis of variables such as hydrodynamic loads, block interaction, damage and displacement processes of units, and the influence of material properties such as stability friction, using high-performance computing techniques and validating results with experimental data obtained within the project itself. For numerical simulation of wave impact on breakwater blocks, a particle-based fluid dynamics software developed by EPhysLab is used.
The combination of computational modelling and experimental validation will enable a better understanding of the physical processes affecting these infrastructures and will facilitate the development of safer, more efficient solutions adapted to coastal challenges. In this regard, Alejandro Jacobo Cabrera explains that “Aurora allows us to take a step forward, combining advanced simulation knowledge with very solid experimental validation, which is essential to develop truly useful and reliable tools.” For EPhysLab, he adds, “it also represents an opportunity to consolidate a research line with direct application to real problems and the capacity to generate scientific, technical, and social impact.”
What makes Aurora different from other coastal engineering projects, Alejandro Jacobo Cabrera details, “is precisely the close combination of advanced numerical modelling, experimental validation, and application to real cases.” It is not just about developing more sophisticated models, he emphasizes, “but about comparing them with specific physical tests and orienting them towards concrete problems of stability and maintenance of port infrastructures. That connection between simulation, experiment, and practical application is one of its main strengths.”
Response to major current challenges
Beyond scientific progress, the project addresses one of today’s major challenges: protecting coastal areas against sea level rise, increased wave intensity, and the higher frequency of extreme events. Its results, the organization notes, “will contribute to improving the design and maintenance of infrastructures such as ports and breakwaters, reducing risks, costs, and associated damage.” Likewise, Aurora includes an important component of transfer and dissemination, with the development of advanced numerical tools, scientific publications, training activities, and the release of open data and codes. “The goal is to facilitate both the advancement of knowledge and its direct application by the port sector and coastal engineering,” they state.
The project, Alejandro Jacobo Cabrera finally comments, “can add value to society by improving tools to design, assess, and maintain safer and more resilient coastal infrastructure,” since, he notes, “in a context of climate change and more intense storms, this is essential to reduce risks and make better technical decisions. Moreover, the project incorporates real cases of interest for port authorities such as those of A Coruña and Bilbao, which reinforces its practical usefulness.”
The CIM holds the CIGUS recognition from the Xunta de Galicia, which certifies the quality and impact of its research, and its activity is co-funded by the European Union through the ERDF 21–27 Programme.
Source: DUVI
