Securing Europe’s MARitime domain against threats through vessel-CONNECTed services

forthcoming

Europe's vast maritime domain faces challenges in situational awareness and border security due to dynamic operations and rising maritime crimes. Current surveillance technologies lack cost-efficient, wide-ranging coverage, leaving gaps in EU monitoring. MARCONNECT introduces the Vessel-Connected Services (VCS), a disruptive solution that transforms civilian vessels into active contributors to a real-time, integrated maritime surveillance network. By securely and voluntarily sharing their outward-looking sensor data (e.g., radar, sonar) with Coast Guard Authorities, civilian vessels become valuable assets in enhancing maritime situational awareness. In return, vessel owners gain access to tailored third-party services of their interest and real-time connectivity, creating a synergetic ecosystem. The main end-users of the VCS solution include Coast Guard Authorities, extending also to law enforcement agencies , who will benefit from a dynamic and scalable maritime security solution, and maritime operators across the EU, while private sector stakeholders benefit from anonymised, aggregated data insights to improve their businesses. The impact of the VCS solution is profound, resulting in a significant expansion of maritime surveillance coverage, strengthened ability to detect and respond to maritime threats, complementing existing maritime intelligence services. MARCONNECT capitalises on the trend of decreasing maritime communication costs, accelerating this shift by enabling broader and affordable access to real-time connectivity. This vision is enabled by an experienced consortium of relevant Coast Guard Authorities and Law Enforcement, key maritime industry players, and leading SMEs and RTOs with a proven track record in border security, uniquely positioned to transform Europe’s maritime security landscape and strengthen its borders