Making essential ocean knowledge universally accessible

Healthy oceans are the driving force behind our climate, but the complex processes taking place underwater often remain hidden from view. How do you turn groundbreaking research into a website that inspires action? We enabled NIOZ to bridge the gap between in-depth science and societal impact.

Organization

The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) is the national oceanographic institute and the Dutch center of expertise for the ocean, sea, coast, and delta. NIOZ’s research promotes a fundamental understanding of marine systems, the role they play in climate and biodiversity, and how they can provide sustainable solutions for society in the future.

Challenge

The outdated website and underlying CMS were a barrier to the institute’s societal ambitions. It was difficult to make complex scientific material accessible to a broad audience without losing the depth required by the scientific community.

Solution

An accessible website now serves as the face of Dutch marine research. Through smart information architecture and an intuitive design, we make complex data, expertise, and publications accessible in an understandable way. This allows the scientific authority of the NIOZ to shine online.

A layered approach to complex information

A well-designed taxonomy and intuitive navigation make vast amounts of research easily accessible. Clear overview pages highlight societal impact, while in-depth publications are always within reach through logical knowledge streams. This makes complex subject matter accessible to a broad audience, without sacrificing scientific depth.

Science translated into storytelling

Knowledge only becomes valuable once the message is understood. A modular CMS gives editorial teams full control to turn research findings into interactive stories themselves, without relying on developers. Using smart widgets, they can link studies directly to relevant sources, which reduces the administrative burden and enriches the content.

Instant access to the right information

Smart metadata and logical relationships within the architecture allow visitors to find information intuitively. A robust search engine scans publications and databases simultaneously, providing direct access to specific content for deeper exploration.

Connecting people to expertise

Research is driven by experts. Our platform links visitors directly to the scientists involved, fostering transparency and simplifying contact for the media. Intuitive workflows ensure that managing these profiles remains simple, central, and secure for the organization.

Accessibility by design

Driven by a public mission, we built a website without digital barriers. By integrating WCAG AA standards into the core of our technology and design, we achieved a perfect score from the Accessibility Foundation. This 'Status A' certification ensures that vital climate research reaches all audiences, regardless of how they navigate the web.

Collaboration through co-creation

Building a successful platform requires digital maturity. As a strategic partner, we worked side-by-side with the NIOZ team: they provided the scientific depth, while we delivered the scalable digital infrastructure. Through this intensive co-creation, we didn't just deliver a new ecosystem, we empowered the team to manage it with total confidence.

A great team with a wealth of expertise. Unc Inc translated our complex needs and regulatory requirements into an accessible, future-ready platform. This helps NIOZ make scientific knowledge more visible and impactful for the public. We highly value the efficient collaboration and direct communication.

Ayla van de Weerdt

Communications officer

Sustaining a global scientific mission

NIOZ now has a future-proof foundation to share its science with the world. As a dedicated digital partner, we ensure the platform evolves alongside the research, making essential ocean knowledge accessible to all.