Horizon Europe Research Project launched

The SEAGUARD project aims to integrate different types of sensor technology to achieve a more reliable "portrait" of border areas. The project wants to help assess situations of maritime incidents and illegal activities.

In this sense, the project will focus on the design, development and testing of advanced solutions capable of integrating different types of sensor technologies: unmanned vehicles (air, surface and underwater) and intelligent underwater cables, combined with advanced analytics and decision-support systems.

All this information will be merged and processed by classification algorithms, and then made available to end users, who will be able to make educated decisions and take action.

The project, started on 1 October, is funded by the European Commission under Horizon Europe Programme (Grant Agreement No. 101168489) and will last for 30 months (October 2024 – March 2027).

INESC TEC is the SEAGUARD project coordinator, and consortium members are: Arquimea Aerospace Defense and Security SL, Azur Drones, Beia Cercetare Srl, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy in Greece, Konnektable Technologies Ltd, Magellium SAS, Particle Summary, Ministério Da Defesa Nacional in Portugal, Ministerum Afacerilor Interne in Romania, University of South-Eastern Norway, Unmmanned Technologies Applications SL, and Whitesteps Technologies.

Solent University’s Principal Investigator for the project, Zakirul Bhuiyan, says, “SEAGUARD exemplifies how cutting-edge technology and international collaboration can address both security concerns and environmental priorities in the maritime domain.

“By utilising the University’s advanced maritime simulation facilities, ship-handling platforms, and computer science laboratories, the project will strengthen our capabilities in maritime surveillance and environmental monitoring. SEAGUARD not only promotes sustainable practices and innovation but also establishes Solent University as a key contributor to addressing global maritime challenges.”

-ENDS-

All media enquiries should be directed to a.moraiti@whitesteps.com or bruno.m.ferreira@inesctec.pt