Maritime security is vital to the European Union and its Member States. The EU countries together control the largest combined Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the world; therefore, the safeguarding of the maritime domain is essential to the EU’s economic stability and strategic interests. Maritime surveillance plays a central role in securing the EU’s vast marine territory, which includes 68,000 km of coastline and critical trade routes responsible for approximately 90% of Europe’s external trade and 40% of its internal trade[1]. The 2024 EU Blue Economy Report shows that Europe’s Blue Economy generates around €171.1 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) and directly employs around 3.6 million people[2]. Threats to maritime security, ranging from piracy and illegal fishing to pollution and smuggling, can significantly impact the Blue Economy, possibly causing billions of euros in economic losses each year. As shipping lanes get busier, cyber and hybrid threats increase, and new tech like unmanned vessels comes into operation, the process of monitoring Europe’s waters is becoming more challenging. These developments point towards a need for more adaptive and intelligent surveillance systems. In response, the European Union has adopted a revised Maritime Security Strategy and Action Plan in 2023[3]. Within this plan, it is highlighted that there is a need for coordinated, technologically advanced, and data-driven approaches to safeguarding EU maritime interests against both conventional and emerging threats.
The Copernicus Security Service (CSS) is one of the primary services under the EU’s Copernicus Space Programme. The CSS delivers critical, timely intelligence to reinforce the EU security, safety, and law enforcement capabilities, while also supporting EU policy objectives. Through the application of advanced Earth Observation (EO) technologies, CSS offers specialized services in three strategic domains: Maritime Surveillance, Border Surveillance, and Support to EU External Actions. The aim is to significantly enhance Europe’s ability to respond swiftly and effectively to emerging threats. Agencies such as EMSA, FRONTEX, EFCA, and SatCen apply satellite-derived data (optical, radar, and infrared imagery) to proactively identify security threats and manage crises effectively.
Satellite data certainly possesses high strategic value for surveillance at an EU level. Nevertheless, relying solely on space-based observations often proves inadequate, due to limitations that are inherent to satellite operations (E.g., gaps in coverage due to orbital trajectories). Thus, the integration of complementary data streams and innovative technological capabilities with EO data is quite important for ensuring robust security outcomes. This particular research direction has been established by the CSS Strategic Research Agenda[4] which sets the Copernicus R&D guidance framework.
This is precisely the strategic approach that forms the core of the EU-funded AI4COPSEC research project. The project aims to enhance maritime surveillance capabilities by employing advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) techniques along with multi-source data fusion. It focuses on the integration of multiple data sources, from satellite Earth Observation and Automatic Identification System (AIS) to Open-source intelligence (OSINT) and IoT. These diverse data streams are unified into an intelligence framework with an aim to deliver multi-dimensional situational awareness. In parallel, AI4COPSEC is developing and testing cutting-edge AI / ML models, including deep learning and GeoAI approaches. These technologies are applied to detect anomalies that could signal security-related issues, in further support of efficient decision-making. AI4COPSEC aims to demonstrate how these innovations can be deployed within the context of the CSS operational environment. Crucially, to validate the project’s innovations, four maritime security use cases that reflect the current operational needs of Europe are being examined. The significant scale and variability of these use cases underscore the urgent need for enhanced surveillance solutions to improve detection, monitoring, and response:
Irregular migration: According to Frontex, irregular border crossings showed substantial increase in 2023[5], reaching approximately 380,000 cases. This is the highest number recorded since 2016. Such developments are mainly due to increased arrivals through the Mediterranean region. While 2024 figures indicate a 38% decrease, this volatility demonstrates the persistent and unpredictable nature of irregular migration flows[6].
Illegal Fishing: Based on European Commission (EC) data, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing corresponds to >15% of global fish catches. This equals approximately 11 – 26 million tonnes of fish caught illegally each year. The global economic value loss is estimated at €10 billion annually[7]. IUU fishing severely disrupts marine ecosystems and impacts the sustainability of legal fishing industries.
Oil Spills: Marine oil spills remain a major environmental hazard within European waters, posing severe ecological, economic, and social consequences. According to the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), in 2022, the CleanSeaNet service detected 4934 potential oil spill incidents across Europe’s maritime areas[8]. Even relatively small spills can cause damage to sensitive marine habitats, wildlife, and coastal economies.
Search and Rescue (SAR): SAR operations in European maritime regions present ongoing challenges. This is due to the complexity, scale, and unpredictability of incidents. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 3,129 migrants lost their lives or went missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in 2023[9]. This figure represents the highest death toll recorded in the Mediterranean since 2017 and is possibly higher due to underreporting.
Successfully addressing these complex maritime security challenges requires careful integration of technological innovations, as well as strategic foresight. In AI4COPSEC, ITML is the lead integration partner, focusing on CSS enhancement, integration, and use case demonstration. The company’s contributions include coordinating the creation of the project’s data governance framework and CSS enhancement guidelines, as well as the development of the data fusion mechanisms. Expertise is also provided in the development of AI-enabled anomaly detection models. ITML also leads exploitation and post-project sustainability activities.
To stay informed about the project and its latest activities, visit the AI4COPSEC website and follow the project’s social media channels in Linkedin and X (formerly Twitter).
[1] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2018/06/26/maritime-security-eu-revises-its-action-plan
[2] https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/ef90077b-1e82-11ef-a251-01aa75ed71a1
[3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52023JC0008
[4] European Commission: Joint Research Centre, Kristopaitis, E. and Meneses De Abreu, R., The strategic research agenda for Copernicus security service 2023 – Guidelines for Horizon Europe 2024, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/38747
[5] https://www.frontex.europa.eu/media-centre/news/news-release/significant-rise-in-irregular-border-crossings-in-2023-highest-since-2016-C0gGpm
[6] https://www.frontex.europa.eu/publications/2024-in-brief-PEEHJe
[7] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/memo_15_5738/MEMO_15_5738_EN.pdf
[8] wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/OurWork/PartnershipsProjects/Documents/Innovation%20Forum%202023/Session%201-1_Ms%20Teresa%20Cunha_EMSA.pdf
[9] https://www.iom.int/news/deadliest-year-record-migrants-nearly-8600-deaths-2023
