Europe's 2020 strategy recognises that knowledge drives innovation, which in turn brings growth that is both sustainable and smart. For the maritime economy much of this knowledge depends on observations of the rhythms and cycles of the sea. However, the data collected through these observations can only generate knowledge and innovation if Europe's engineers and scientists are able to find, access, assemble and apply them efficiently and rapidly. At present this is not the case. The Commission's "Marine Knowledge 2020" initiative aims to unlock and assemble marine data from different sources and facilitate their use.