Summary
- Profile Type
- Research & Development Request
- POD Reference
- RDRNL20260724011
- Term of Validity
- 24 July 2026 - 24 July 2027
- Company's Country
- Netherlands
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Targeted Countries
- All countries
General information
- Short Summary
- Dutch university (ComputerVisionLab) prepares a proposal for the next call of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP), on AI-based world models enabling UnmannedUnderwaterVehicles (UUVs) to perceive, predict and plan in complex marine environments, supporting marine ecosystem monitoring. A strong computer vision and robotics core is in place across three countries. Looking for marine biology/ecology research partners, blue-economy industry partners (marine monitoring, ocean data service)
- Full Description
-
A Dutch university research group specialised in computer vision and video representation learning is coordinating an emerging consortium for the next round of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) joint transnational call.
The project concept centres on AI World Models for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs): learned latent-dynamics models that allow underwater robots to build internal predictive representations of their environment from video and sensor data, and to use these representations for robust perception, prediction and planning in turbid, dynamic and communication-limited marine conditions. Applications include autonomous ecosystem monitoring, habitat mapping, and biodiversity observation.
The emerging consortium already covers a strong technological core across three countries and two European sea basins: video representation learning and model interpretability (Netherlands, coordinator), multimodal video understanding (Italy), 3D perception and autonomous exploration (Netherlands), and resilient underwater robot autonomy and field deployment (Denmark/Norway).
To complete the consortium, two partner profiles are sought:
1. Marine biology / marine ecology research partners able to define ecologically meaningful monitoring objectives, ground-truth and interpret UUV-collected observations, and connect the technology to ecosystem-assessment and policy needs (e.g. biodiversity indicators, habitat status, MSFD-relevant descriptors).
2. Blue-economy industry partners (SMEs or larger) active in marine monitoring, aquaculture technology, offshore inspection, or ocean data services, to provide operational use cases, contribute to piloting and validation at sea, and drive exploitation of results.
Partners joining now will co-shape the scientific objectives, use cases and work plans. - Advantages and Innovations
-
Advantages and Innovations
The project brings a frontier AI (World Models) that learns predictive simulators of environment dynamics to underwater robotics and marine ecosystem monitoring, where perception is hardest and data is scarce.
Key innovations:
• Learned latent world models enabling UUVs to predict and plan under turbidity, poor visibility and limited communication, reducing reliance on constant human piloting
• Self-supervised representation learning from underwater video, reducing the need for costly annotated marine datasets
• Interpretability of learned representations, supporting scientific trust and uptake by marine researchers and policy users
• A consortium combining leading computer vision and field-proven robot autonomy groups, designed for real at-sea demonstration rather than lab-only results - Technical Specification or Expertise Sought
-
Marine biology / ecology research organisations with expertise in one or more of:
• Marine ecosystem monitoring and assessment
• Biodiversity observation, species identification, habitat mapping
• Ecological indicator frameworks and marine environmental policy (e.g. MSFD, ecosystem-based management)
• Field campaigns and ground-truthing of observational data; experience with imagery/video-based marine data is an asset
Industry / SME partners in the blue economy with activities in:
• Marine monitoring and inspection services
• Aquaculture technology and operations
• Ocean data services, marine sensors or autonomous platforms
• Offshore operations requiring underwater situational awareness
Optionally: public authorities or agencies responsible for marine environmental monitoring, as use-case providers and uptake actors. - Stage of Development
- Concept stage
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
-
Marine ecology partners will co-define the ecological objectives and monitoring use cases from the outset, ensuring the world-model technology answers real ecosystem-science questions. They will contribute domain datasets and annotation expertise, lead or co-lead field validation campaigns, interpret robotic observations against ecological indicators, and connect project outputs to marine policy and assessment frameworks.
Industry partners will provide operational requirements and real-world use cases, host or support at-sea pilots and demonstrations, evaluate the technology against commercial monitoring workflows, and lead exploitation and dissemination toward blue-economy markets.
All partners will participate in proposal co-design, joint governance, and dissemination. Partners from EU Member States and Associated Countries beyond those already represented in the consortium are particularly welcome, in view of the call’s transnationality requirements — however, scientific and operational fit is the primary criterion. - Type and Size of Partner
- R&D Institution
- SME 50 - 249
- Big company
- Other
- SME 11-49
- SME <=10
- University
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
Call details
- Framework program
- Horizon Europe
- Call title and identifier
-
Next SBEP Joint Transnational Call (upcoming round)
- Coordinator required
-
No
- Deadline for EoI
- Deadline of the call
- Web link to the call
- https://bluepartnership.eu/
- Horizon Europe
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 01003003 - Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- 07003003 - Marine Science
- 10004009 - Marine Environment
- 01003016 - Simulation
- Market keywords
- 02007021 - Other Artificial intelligence related
- Sector Groups Involved
- Digital
- Maritime Industries and Services
- Targeted countries
- All countries