Two new research projects at Aalborg University in Esbjerg will strengthen the protection of, among other things, Denmark's critical offshore infrastructure through advanced drones.
With a total budget of 80 million DKK and a doubling of the staff, the research group at AAU Energy will receive significantly more resources.
The projects - ABBA USV and U-Shield - focus on monitoring and protecting, among other things, offshore installations such as offshore wind turbines, pipelines and submarine cables.
ABBA USV is developing unmanned vessels that can combine air, surface and underwater technology, while U-Shield is working on an interceptor drone that can peacefully neutralize unwanted drones close to critical infrastructure.
- If you don't have surveillance, you can't act. And if you observe something strange, you also need to have the tools to act. That is why the two projects are closely linked, explains Simon Pedersen, section manager at AAU Energy in Esbjerg.
Great potential
Both projects are supported by EUDP and the Innovation Fund and are being implemented in close collaboration with a number of industry partners, including Vattenfall, Teledyne Reson, Tuco and SubC Partner.
At SubC Partner, which has around 200 employees in Esbjerg, there is a growing market for maritime security.
- We see it as a duty to utilize our knowledge to develop and optimize inspection solutions that can be used in connection with critical energy infrastructure - especially underwater, says Rasmus Graungaard Olsen, project manager at SubC Partner.
The initiatives also come at a time when hybrid threats against Denmark are increasing, and sector preparedness in the energy area has been raised.
At the same time, the intelligence services point to Russia as an active player in hybrid war against Denmark.
- Our work researching surveillance and ensuring maritime security has always been relevant, but it has certainly not become less relevant, says Simon Pedersen.
For the offshore industry, the projects mark a significant boost in the development of autonomous and semi-autonomous systems that can both strengthen preparedness and streamline inspection and maintenance at sea.
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