According to reports, the Netherlands Maritime Research Institute (MARIN) has recently announced a plan called “Space at Sea,” studying the creation of large floating islands within 20 years for building housing, ports, farms or parks. The initial concept of the plan is to manufacture 87 triangular floating islands of different sizes, made of concrete or steel; when combined, the giant floating island could be 1.5 to 2 kilometers long, with a total area of 3 square kilometers. The floating islands would be fixed in offshore waters by anchoring.

　　
The Netherlands Maritime Research Institute plans to build large floating islands

MARIN stressed that the project is still in its infancy and that it will take at least 10 to 20 years before there is sufficient technology to implement it. The authority plans to conduct more tests in the future to verify whether the floating islands can withstand extreme weather or tidal effects, and whether they will affect the marine ecology.
　　The authority also needs to study how the floating islands can achieve self-sufficiency in energy and resources, and ensure that the project is cost-effective. MARIN is currently using wood and styrofoam to make models to demonstrate the expected effects of the project.
　　The “Space at Sea” project, involving multiple countries, has received 1.6 million euros in three-year EU funding to study different uses of floating islands, including for seaweed cultivation and fish farms, as well as the development of cities and ports.