SUBSEA TECH SAS

Their core work

Subsea Tech is a Marseille-based SME specializing in underwater robotic systems and subsea inspection technologies. They develop semi-autonomous underwater vehicles equipped with advanced sensing — including hyperspectral imaging — for tasks like marine litter detection, seabed mapping, and ship hull biofouling management. Their core business sits at the intersection of robotics, computer vision, and marine operations, providing practical tools for monitoring and maintaining underwater infrastructure and environments.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Subsea Tech's early H2020 involvement (2015) focused on fundamental underwater imaging technology through UTOFIA, a time-of-flight image acquisition project with no detailed keyword data — suggesting a more foundational, sensor-development phase. By 2020, they had shifted decisively toward applied underwater robotics for specific environmental and industrial problems: autonomous marine litter cleanup (SeaClear) and ship hull biofouling management (SleekShip). The evolution is clear — from building sensing components to deploying complete robotic systems for real-world marine challenges.

Subsea Tech is moving from sensor R&D toward complete autonomous underwater solutions for environmental monitoring and maritime maintenance — expect them to pursue more operational, market-ready robotic applications.

How they like to work

Subsea Tech operates as both a project leader and a specialized partner, having coordinated SleekShip (an Innovation Action) while contributing technical expertise as a participant in two Research and Innovation Actions. With 17 unique consortium partners across 12 countries from just 3 projects, they integrate well into medium-to-large international consortia. Their willingness to coordinate an IA suggests commercial ambition and readiness to drive projects toward market, not just contribute components.

Despite only three projects, Subsea Tech has built a surprisingly broad network of 17 partners across 12 countries, indicating they work in diverse, multinational consortia rather than relying on a narrow circle of repeat collaborators.

What sets them apart

Subsea Tech combines underwater robotics engineering with advanced spectral imaging in a way few SMEs can match — they don't just build robots, they equip them with sophisticated sensing for classification tasks underwater. Their dual focus on environmental applications (marine litter) and industrial applications (ship hull maintenance) gives them unusual versatility. Based in Marseille, France's main maritime hub, they have direct access to port infrastructure and Mediterranean marine environments for real-world testing.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SeaClear
  Largest funding (EUR 953,700) and tackles the high-profile challenge of autonomous marine litter collection — a growing environmental priority with strong public and policy interest.
• SleekShip
  Subsea Tech's only coordinated project, combining hyperspectral imaging with cavitation cleaning for ship hulls — directly targeting the shipping industry's biofouling cost problem.