The Spanish Maritime Rescue and Safety Agency (Salvamento Marítimo) and the Centre for Studies and Experimentation of Public Works (CEDEX), both under the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, have signed a collaboration agreement to develop the SMarAI (Smart Maritime AI) project. This pioneering initiative will utilise artificial intelligence to handle emergencies in the maritime environment.

The agreement was signed by Ana Núñez, President of Salvamento Marítimo and Director General of the Merchant Navy, and Áurea Perucho, Director of CEDEX. The agreement provides for a maximum budget of €750,000, of which 95% will be subsidised, and will remain in force until 31 December 2027, with the possibility of a one-year extension.
 

Among its main objectives, SMarAI aims to enhance response capacity in critical situations such as oil spills or mass evacuations through the use of advanced technologies. Thanks to artificial intelligence, it will be possible to identify risks more accurately, optimise resource allocation, and improve decision-making during rescue operations.

The project is co-financed by the European Commission through the European Civil Protection Mechanism, emphasising its strategic significance at the European level. To ensure the project’s proper implementation, a Project Committee has been established to oversee its execution.

For its part, CEDEX will utilise the knowledge generated through SMarAI in other areas of transport and emergency management, thereby strengthening its capabilities in the maritime domain.