AI satellites and maritime drones collaborate to protect Europe's waters.

      Ubotica, an Irish startup that specializes in edge AI for satellites, has teamed up with two Dutch companies to create an intelligence platform designed to enhance maritime security in European waters.

      The collaboration involves Fugro, which offers offshore surveying and geodata services, and DTACT, a cybersecurity firm focused on defense, to provide governments with a new tool for overseeing critical underwater infrastructure like gas pipelines and subsea cables.

      This platform aims to integrate real-time data from the sea, air, and space to establish a comprehensive view of maritime activity. Fugro's drones, underwater vehicles, and uncrewed surface vessels will gather geodata from the oceans. Meanwhile, Ubotica's AI-driven satellites will monitor vessels and highlight anomalies in near-real time. DTACT will then consolidate these streams into a maritime cybersecurity solution.

      Fintan Buckley, CEO of Ubotica, expressed that this "space-to-seabed surveillance" has the potential to revolutionize situational awareness at sea.

      “This integrated approach, which combines our insights with those of Fugro and DTACT, enhances maritime awareness and provides a near real-time response capability to secure vital underwater infrastructure for the long term,” he stated.

      The demand for such maritime surveillance has increased since the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, which revealed the vulnerability of underwater assets to covert attacks. NATO member countries in Europe are also enhancing their maritime defenses due to rising concerns about Russian aggression.

      Ivar de Josselin de Jong, the director of strategy and government relations for Fugro’s maritime security and surveillance division, noted that the new partnership would facilitate “information-driven operations” to support national security initiatives.

      Initially, the platform will aim to assist governmental organizations in the North Sea and Baltic regions, which are significant testing grounds for European maritime defense technology due to their strategic relevance and relative proximity to Russia.

      Several new systems are currently being tested in this area. The Danish Armed Forces are evaluating autonomous surface drones in the Baltic Sea, while the Dutch company Optics11 is experimenting with a fiber-optic sensor in the North Sea that detects enemy vessels by "listening with light."

      Published July 8, 2025 - 1:05 pm UTC