Eureka Xecs · Call 4

MariSens — End User Stakeholder Alignment

Maritime Infrastructure Inspection by Autonomous Sensing & AI. A 36-month, €13.1M international consortium led by Dronecloud — automating inspection and predictive maintenance of vital maritime infrastructure with autonomous drones, unmanned boats, underwater sensing, and AI.

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36-month consortium (2026–2028)
20 partners · 5 countries
€13.1M total investment
Targeting the €14.4B global offshore maintenance market
Inverness & Cromarty Firth Green Freeport host

Eureka · Xecs

Mission

To automate and enhance the inspection and predictive maintenance of vital maritime infrastructure using various methods of autonomous sensing and artificial intelligence.

Eureka is a leading international intergovernmental network for market-driven R&D, established to foster cross-border innovation by providing collaborative platforms and access to national public funding.

Xecs is a specific Eureka Cluster focused on the Electronic Components & Systems (ECS) community. It aims to accelerate sustainable digital transformation by connecting SMEs, large enterprises, and research institutions to develop ground-breaking technologies in mobility, energy, and digital industries.

Stacked Hapag-Lloyd, MAERSK and UASC shipping containers at a Green Freeport with a quayside gantry crane

MariSens Overview

Mission: To automate and enhance the inspection and predictive maintenance of vital maritime infrastructure using various methods of autonomous sensing and artificial intelligence.
Scope: A 36-month initiative (2026–2028) with a global consortium of 20 partners across 5 countries.
Total Investment: €13.1 million, aiming to transform the €14.4 billion global offshore maintenance market.

Outcomes

Why do we want to automate and enhance inspection and predictive maintenance?

Optimise asset longevity
Improve safety
Operational efficiency
Gain fast insights into these changing environments

Use cases

Delivering value to the ICF Freeport

The project’s priority is to deliver value to local organisations and businesses within the ICF Freeport through clear, technology-enabled use cases.

MariSens use-case diagram covering portside inspection, marine movement tracking, wave height monitoring and underwater sensing, connected by an enterprise 5G network

Technical Goals

Enable automated navigation and mission control for integrated drones across ports and maritime environments (1 → 10 → 20km).
Develop an unmanned boat platform for underwater and UAV drones.
Integrate advanced sensor types (underwater LiDAR, hydrophone array, underwater electromagnetic communications) in inspection.
Design AI models for automated detection and classification of defects, objects and events.
Create noise profiles for different work types and vessel engines.
Shipping inspection + emissions sensing.

Wider Benefits

Industrial impact

Interoperable platform with tools for various types of maritime inspection.
Easier entrance to inspection market for small innovative companies.

Economic impact

Reduced labour and equipment costs.
Higher defect detection rate — fewer incidents with critical infrastructure.

Societal impact

Community wealth building.
Less delays for citizens during non-intrusive inspections.
Reduction of underwater noise for sea-life.

Partners

The Companies Involved

MariSens brings together technology, infrastructure, regional and academic partners across five countries.

Dronecloud (Lead)

Dronecloud is a leading enterprise drone management platform that integrates flight planning, safety compliance, and fleet logistics into a single, streamlined digital workflow.

Platform overview

Evolve Dynamics Limited

Evolve Dynamics is a specialised UK manufacturer of rugged, long-endurance UAV systems designed for mission-critical applications in defence, public safety, and industrial inspection.

CSignum

CSignum is a pioneer in subsea wireless communications, providing innovative solutions for cable-free data transmission and digital transformation within the ocean and water industries.

Scotland 5G Centre

The Scotland 5G Centre serves as the national hub for accelerating 5G adoption, connecting industry and academia to drive digital innovation and economic growth across Scotland.

Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport Limited

This strategic economic zone acts as a global hub for green energy, focusing on large-scale decarbonisation, offshore wind innovation, and the development of a sustainable hydrogen economy.

Lyons Consulting

A specialist consultancy bridging the gap between technology companies, concepts and solutions for end users in non-tech-focused industries.

Birmingham City University (BCU)

Birmingham City University is a major, practice-led institution dedicated to providing industry-relevant education and fostering professional excellence in the heart of the West Midlands.

Nottingham Trent University (NTU)

Nottingham Trent University is a world-class academic institution recognised for its excellence in pioneering research, and its strong commitment to student employability and sustainability.

Partnering on maritime autonomy & inspection?

Speak with Dronecloud about MariSens, freeport drone operations, subsea & USV integration, and how the platform supports your maritime programme.

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