MARINE-EO · Project

Satellite-Powered Maritime Surveillance and Ocean Monitoring Services for Authorities and Industry

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Imagine trying to watch over a vast stretch of ocean — tracking ships, spotting pollution, monitoring fish stocks, and detecting illegal border crossings — all at once. That's what maritime authorities across Europe struggle with daily. MARINE-EO brought together 5 national maritime authorities and 4 research centers to build Earth Observation services that turn satellite data into real-time maritime intelligence. Think of it as upgrading from binoculars to a satellite dashboard covering the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Arctic.

By the numbers

Maritime authorities in the buyers' group

Countries in the consortium (EL, ES, NO, PT)

Partners in the consortium

Sets of demand-driven EO-based services developed

Total project deliverables completed

The business problem

What needed solving

Maritime authorities across Europe face a fragmented landscape of ocean monitoring tools — they need to track illegal border crossings, spot environmental threats, monitor fisheries, and ensure navigation safety, often with disconnected systems and limited satellite data integration. Current services don't bridge the gap between raw Copernicus satellite data and the operational needs of coast guards and marine agencies. This leaves critical blind spots in maritime awareness across the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Arctic.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered 2 sets of demand-driven Earth Observation services covering marine monitoring and maritime security, plus integration support services to connect these with authority operations. A demonstration of test products was completed for the European Commission and end users, with 9 deliverables total across the 4-year project.

Audience

Who needs this

Maritime surveillance technology providers seeking validated EO service architecturesCoast guard and border control agencies upgrading their monitoring capabilitiesMarine environmental consultancies needing satellite-based assessment toolsFisheries management technology companies building compliance monitoring systemsPort authorities and shipping companies requiring integrated maritime awareness platforms

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Maritime Security & Surveillance

mid-size

Target: Maritime surveillance technology providers and coast guard technology suppliers

If you are a maritime security company struggling to integrate satellite data into operational surveillance — this project developed demand-driven Earth Observation services tested by 5 maritime authorities across 4 countries. The services cover both marine monitoring and security, built on Copernicus open standards. You could license or build upon these validated service architectures to offer turnkey solutions to coast guards and port authorities.

Environmental Monitoring Services

SME

Target: Ocean monitoring and marine environmental consultancies

If you are an environmental consultancy needing better tools to track climate change effects on marine ecosystems — this project created EO-based marine monitoring services validated across the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Arctic basins. The 9-partner consortium demonstrated these services to end users and the European Commission. These tested methods could strengthen your environmental impact assessments and compliance reporting.

Fisheries Management

any

Target: Fisheries management agencies and sustainable fishing technology companies

If you are a fisheries technology company looking for better ways to monitor fishing activity and marine habitats — this project built satellite-enabled services covering marine monitoring across 3 major European sea basins. Developed through Pre-Commercial Procurement with real maritime authority buyers, these services are designed to plug into existing operational workflows. This could give your products a competitive edge in regulatory compliance monitoring.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access or license these maritime EO services?

The project's EU contribution is not available in the dataset, and no pricing model is disclosed. Since MARINE-EO was funded through Pre-Commercial Procurement, the resulting services were developed for the 5 participating maritime authorities. Commercial licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the coordinator or the technology providers involved.

Can these services scale to cover additional sea basins or regions?

The services were designed and tested across 3 major European sea basins: the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and the Arctic. Based on the project objective, the architecture uses open standards and builds on Copernicus data, which is globally available. This suggests the approach is technically scalable to other regions.

Who owns the intellectual property from this project?

As a Pre-Commercial Procurement project, IP ownership follows EU PCP rules where contractors typically retain IP rights while buyers get usage rights at fair conditions. The coordinator is NCSR Demokritos in Greece. Specific licensing arrangements would need to be discussed with the consortium partners.

How does this integrate with existing maritime monitoring systems?

The project explicitly aimed to create 'support' and 'envelop' services that integrate EO and Copernicus-enabled services into existing operational logic and procedures of maritime authorities. Based on available project data, the services were built on open standards to ease integration with current workflows.

What was the timeline from development to demonstration?

The project ran from January 2017 to January 2021, a 4-year period. During this time, the consortium completed 9 deliverables including a demonstration of test products to the European Commission and end users. The PCP structure means development went through successive phases of solution design, prototyping, and field testing.

Is this compliant with EU maritime regulations?

The project was specifically designed to serve public maritime authorities and aligns with EU Copernicus program standards. The 5 maritime authorities in the buyers' group validated the services against their operational requirements. Based on available project data, regulatory compliance was built into the demand-driven development process.

Consortium

Who built it

The MARINE-EO consortium of 9 partners across 4 countries (Greece, Spain, Norway, Portugal) is heavily research-oriented with 4 research organizations and 5 other entities — notably zero industry partners and zero SMEs. The coordinator is Greece's National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, a major public research body. The absence of commercial partners is explained by the Pre-Commercial Procurement model: the 5 maritime authorities acted as the demand side (buyers), while technology suppliers competed through the PCP process rather than joining the consortium. For a business looking to commercialize these results, the lack of an existing industry pathway means opportunity — but also means you would need to engage directly with the research partners to access the technology.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH "DEMOKRITOS"Coordinator · EL
KYSTVERKETparticipant · NO
SINTEF OCEAN ASparticipant · NO
FUNDO REGIONAL DA CIENCIA E TECNOLOGIAparticipant · PT
HELLENIC CENTRE FOR MARINE RESEARCHparticipant · EL
DIRECAO-GERAL DE POLITICA DO MARparticipant · PT
EUROPEAN UNION SATELLITE CENTREparticipant · ES
MINISTERIO DEL INTERIORparticipant · ES
ETHNIKO ASTEROSKOPEIO ATHINONparticipant · EL

How to reach the team

NCSR Demokritos, Greece — contact through SciTransfer for a warm introduction to the project coordinator

Order a report on this consortium See NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH "DEMOKRITOS" profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how MARINE-EO's validated maritime surveillance services could fit your operations? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the research team and help evaluate commercial licensing options.

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