Engineering ASPACE (www.aspace.ac.uk) : Lessons Learned in Research Software Engineering from climate change adaptation research to a decision-support tool.
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ASPACE (Assisted Spatial Prioritisation Addressing Climate Effects) is a web-based decision support tool/platform developed to support climate-smart marine spatial planning through scenario based scientific analysis of ocean climate modelling projections, economic modelling and end-user values, supported by geospatial visualisation. The platform is designed to support the exploration of climate-resilient, socially acceptable and economically viable spatial policy scenarios for nature investors, marine industries, conservation and policy makers, and ocean-based communities involved in marine spatial planning and sustainable ocean management. This presentation will share the lessons learned during the development of ASPACE, covering the journey from requirements gathering through to deployment within a research and decision-support environment. The presentation will discuss how research software engineering practices were applied throughout the full software development lifecycle, including requirement analysis, solution design, infrastructure preparation, front-end and back-end development, scientific workflow integration, background processing and operational deployment. The platform integrates modern tools and technologies to support marine spatial modelling workflows, interactive data visualisation and output comparison. The session will also reflect on the practical challenges of balancing scientific requirements, usability, scalability, reproducibility and operational reliability while developing software for multidisciplinary researchers and stakeholders. In addition, the presentation will highlight the importance of collaboration, communication, iterative development and infrastructure planning in delivering sustainable research software solutions. Through sharing the ASPACE development experience, this talk aims to provide practical insights into how Research Software Engineering supports the transformation of scientific ideas into operational software platforms that enable collaboration, reproducibility and evidence-based decision making.
Institutions: Plymouth Marine Laboratory, University of Plymouth
Language: English
Subfield: Information Systems and Management
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204886584
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