LINCOLN · Project

Smart Connected Vessels That Cut Maritime Operations Costs and Boost Safety

transportTestedTRL 5

Imagine you run a fleet of work boats — crew transfers to offshore wind farms, coastal patrol, or sea rescue. Right now each boat is a one-trick pony, expensive to build, and you're flying blind on real-time performance data. LINCOLN designed three new types of smart, connected vessels with built-in IoT sensors and a shared digital platform, so operators can monitor everything from engine health to weather in one dashboard. Think of it as turning a dumb boat into a smartphone on water — modular, data-driven, and cheaper to operate because one platform serves multiple missions.

By the numbers

new vessel concepts developed to TRL5

EUR 6,343,600

EU contribution for development

consortium partners across 6 countries

SME partners in the consortium

59%

industry partner ratio

demonstrated prototypes delivered

total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Maritime operators today face a costly reality: vessels are built as single-purpose, disconnected machines. Crew transfer boats, patrol vessels, and rescue craft each need separate designs, separate maintenance programs, and separate crews — with no shared data platform to optimize operations. This drives up fleet costs and limits operational flexibility, while operators lack real-time performance data to make smarter decisions at sea.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered working prototypes of an IoT platform for vessel connectivity, an i-Captain black box for operational data recording, Universal Marine Gateway devices for sensor integration, a portweather module, and data visualization interfaces. These were demonstrated across three vessel concept designs: a multi-platform catamaran for offshore energy services, a modular high-speed patrol boat, and an emergency response vessel series — all validated at TRL5 through dynamic simulation.

Audience

Who needs this

Offshore wind farm crew transfer vessel operatorsCoast guard and maritime border patrol agenciesCoastal search and rescue organizationsShipyards looking for modular vessel design platformsAquaculture service companies needing multipurpose survey vessels

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Offshore Wind & Ocean Energy Services

mid-size

Target: Crew transfer vessel (CTV) operators and offshore service companies

If you are a crew transfer operator dealing with high vessel downtime, safety risks during personnel transfers, and rising fuel costs — this project developed a multi-platform catamaran concept with a new people transfer system optimized for ocean energy operations. The IoT platform gives you real-time operational data to cut unnecessary trips and reduce maintenance costs. The consortium of 17 partners across 6 countries validated the design through simulation at TRL5.

Maritime Security & Border Patrol

enterprise

Target: Coast guard agencies and private maritime security firms

If you are a patrol and security operator struggling with the cost of maintaining different vessel types for different missions — LINCOLN developed a modular high-speed patrol boat platform that can be reconfigured for different operational requirements. This enables a 'Vessel as a Service' business model where one platform design serves multiple markets through series production at lower cost. The project included 10 industry partners who shaped the design for real operational needs.

Search and Rescue Operations

any

Target: Coastal rescue organizations and emergency response agencies

If you are a coastal rescue operator where seconds matter and positioning accuracy saves lives — this project built an emergency response vessel series with integrated electronics, IoT connectivity, and an enhanced low-cost dynamic positioning system. The i-Captain black box prototype and Universal Marine Gateway collect real-time sea data to help rescue operators make faster decisions during critical situations.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt LINCOLN's vessel designs or IoT platform?

The project does not publish per-unit vessel costs or licensing fees. The total EU contribution was EUR 6,343,600 across 17 partners over 3 years. The modular patrol boat concept was specifically designed for series production at low cost, but exact pricing would need to be negotiated with the consortium partners.

Can these vessel designs be built at industrial scale?

The designs were validated at TRL5 through dynamic simulation model testing, not full-scale production. However, the modular patrol boat platform was explicitly designed with series production in mind. Scaling to production would require further engineering and classification society approval, but the 10 industry partners in the consortium bring shipbuilding and marine engineering capacity.

Who owns the intellectual property and how can I license it?

IP is shared among the 17 consortium partners according to their EU grant agreement. The coordinator is Politecnico di Milano (Italy). Any licensing or technology transfer would need to be discussed directly with relevant consortium partners who developed specific components like the IoT platform, i-Captain black box, or Universal Marine Gateway.

Is the IoT platform compatible with existing vessel systems?

The Universal Marine Gateway (UMG) prototypes were specifically designed to connect existing vessel sensors and equipment to the LINCOLN IoT platform. The project developed running prototypes demonstrated across different use cases, suggesting compatibility was a design priority. Integration details would need to be confirmed with the technology developers in the consortium.

What is the current status and can I use these results today?

The project closed in September 2019. Deliverables include working prototypes of the i-Captain black box, Universal Marine Gateway, IoT platform, and data visualization interfaces. Some consortium partners may have continued development commercially since project end — contacting them directly is the best way to check current availability.

Does this meet maritime regulatory requirements?

Based on available project data, the designs were developed to TRL5 through simulation and prototype testing. Full regulatory compliance with classification societies (DNV, Lloyd's, Bureau Veritas) would be part of further development toward production. The consortium included partners from 6 countries with maritime regulatory experience.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a strong industry-driven consortium with 17 partners from 6 countries (Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Norway — all maritime nations). The 59% industry ratio and 10 SMEs signal that this project was built around commercial needs, not just academic research. Politecnico di Milano coordinates, bringing design methodology expertise, while the industry partners contribute real shipbuilding and marine technology capacity. The geographic spread covers key European maritime markets from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia. For a business looking to adopt these technologies, the high SME count means several consortium members are likely interested in commercializing their specific components.

POLITECNICO DI MILANOCoordinator · IT
HOLONIX SRLparticipant · IT
BIBA - BREMER INSTITUT FUER PRODUKTION UND LOGISTIK GMBHparticipant · DE
STIFTELSEN SINTEFparticipant · NO
HUBSTRACT SRLparticipant · IT
CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ANDINNOVATION (CETRI) LTDparticipant · CY
SINTEF ASparticipant · NO
BALANCE TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING GMBHparticipant · DE
SOUPER TOYS SKAFI EPEparticipant · EL
ASOCIACION CENTRO TECNOLOGICO NAVAL Y DEL MARparticipant · ES
CINECA CONSORZIO INTERUNIVERSITARIOparticipant · IT
INSTITOUTO TECHNOLOGIAS YPOLOGISTON KAI EKDOSEON DIOFANTOSparticipant · EL

How to reach the team

Politecnico di Milano (Italy) — a leading technical university. Contact their maritime engineering or design department for technology transfer inquiries.

Order a report on this consortium See POLITECNICO DI MILANO profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the LINCOLN consortium to explore licensing their IoT platform, vessel designs, or marine gateway technology? SciTransfer can arrange an introduction to the right partner for your specific needs.

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