The European Union has officially approved OceanEye, a €92 million initiative funded by Horizon Europe, aiming to establish the EU as a global leader in ocean observation systems and technology by 2035. This plan, an outcome of the European Pact for the Oceans, allocates €50 million to enhance global observation, €12 million to data resilience, and €30 million to the European Innovation Council for new technologies. OceanEye seeks to overcome the current fragmentation of European ocean observation through improved governance, an international alliance supporting the Global Ocean Observing System, and the development of the European Digital Ocean System, featuring a fully operational Digital Twin of the Ocean by 2030. The initiative also includes educational components to engage citizens with the sea, emphasizing the economic benefits of the blue economy and the vast unexplored potential of the oceans, especially in a geopolitical context of shifting international scientific support.