Open Innovation to improve response in maritime security and safety in the Atlantic Area (EAPA_1055/2018). INTERREG VB Atlantic Area funded by ERDF funds.
AT-VIRTUAL overall objective is to accelerate the digitization of MSTCs in the Atlantic Area, through the introduction of new emerging Industry 4.0 (I4.0) related technologies (Internet of Things, Big Data/Data Analytics, and Vision Technologies) in simulation-based training systems, contributing to more effectively and efficiently tackle of maritime safety in the Atlantic Area. To achieve this, MSTCs will become testing, piloting and demonstration sites of technology solutions to common needs identified in the Atlantic Area. The process of digitization will be carried out through a collaborative hybridization process, facilitating the cooperation between 3 MSTCs and startups who will act as digital enablers, supported by a research organization and I4.0 experts. AT Virtual stands out for its special focus on capitalization and transfer of innovation results, to be applied in such as specific sector through open innovation methodologies.
The project is funded by European Regional Development Fund of the European Union (ERDF), within the framework of the INTERREG Atlantic Area Programme.
Leader partner: Centro Europeo de Empresas e Innovación del Principado de Asturias-CEEI. Partnership: Laval Mayenne Technopole Partner- Pays-de-la-Loire (France), Instituto Pedro Nunes–Associação para a Inovação e Desenvolvimento em Ciência e Tecnologia- Portugal Centro (Portugal), South West Business & Technology Centre Ltd (CorkBIC)- Southern and Eastern (Ireland), Associação de Estudos e Ensino para o Mar- Lisboa (Portugal), Cork Institute of Technology, throug the National Maritime College of Ireland-Southern and Eastern (Ireland), Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation- País Vasco (España) y la Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima, a través del Centro Jovellanos (España).
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR EUROPEAN CIVIL PROTECTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID OPERATIONS – ECHO
AGREEMENT No ECHO/SUB/2016/740129/PREP/21
Co-Funded by the European Union
Actions aimed at improving cross border civil protection and marine pollution cooperation, including regional cooperation, regarding interoperability and preparedness for, direct response to and reducing impacts of natural and man-made disasters
Ro-Ro ships are an important component of the global transport system and one of the most successful types of ships today. However, the high numbers of fire-related incidents on ro-ro ships in recent years and no signs of a decline require better fire protection systems. Based on a proposal from the European Commission, the International Maritime Organisation adopted a new agenda item for the Maritime Safety Committee in November 2016 entitled "Fire safety of ro-ro passenger ships" (MSC 97/19/3), and studies have been carried out to assess the critical aspects of previous ro-ro passenger ship fires.
There is also a need to address future challenges, including ongoing changes to cargo involving alternative fuel vehicles. In addition, similar fire safety challenges apply to all types of ro-ro vessels (not just passenger vessels), including vehicle carriers and ro-ro cargo vessels in general. It is, therefore, necessary to update the fire protection of ro-ro vessels from a broad and long-term perspective. There are important challenges to be addressed, but there is also great potential in the use of new and advanced technologies and procedures. Innovative solutions must be in balance with their effects on the environment, costs and crew operations in order to be considered for regulatory amendments. Then the fire safety of ro-ro vessels can be improved in a reliable manner, without the support of external intervention.
LASH FIRE brings together the relevant experience to meet the challenge of developing and demonstrating new procedures and technical innovations for use at sea. The goal of the project, in line with that of the IMO and other regulatory bodies, is to improve the safety of ro-ro ships significantly. In addition, LASH FIRE provides European industrial know-how to address the technical challenges posed by these updated rules, improving shipyards, systems suppliers, and other industries to develop and build safer and more competitive ships for sustainable transport.The project is based on a holistic approach to the problem and the following shall be researched:
Effective manual operations: more effective fire management operations at all stages of a fire, including risk-based cargo detection and management, more efficient fire patrols and first responses, as well as effective firefighting.
Intrinsically Safe Design: Improved designs for critical operations in the event of a fire, reducing the possibility of human error, accelerating time-sensitive tasks, and providing more complete and effective decision support.
Ignition Prevention: Significant reduction of the most likely ignition sources and inflammable materials on the ro-ro platform, as well as the provision of automatic detection and risk-based cargo support systems.
Detection: faster, more reliable and more robust technical means to detect, confirm, locate, and assess fires on all types of ro-ro platforms.
Suppression: rapid suppression regardless of the deck, type of system, or crew size/presence.
Containment: Elimination of major containment weaknesses, considering smoke, fire and heat integrity
In order for solutions regarding the adoption of regulations to be considered, their impact on risk and cost reduction will be assessed and advisory groups will be established with flag states and operators. Therefore, the project is expected to strengthen the independent fire protection of ro-ro vessels significantly and reduce the frequency of ro-ro vessel fires by 35% and the number of fatalities by 45%.
(OCT 13 2020)This video shows tests of Unifire AB's FlameRanger autonomous fire fighting robot--a fully autonomous and remote controlled fire monitor system, which automatically, and without any human intervention, detects and suppresses fire. As seen in the video, the system dynamically detects, follows, and suppresses fires in real time. It automatically turns the water on when fire is detected, and shuts the water off when it has been extinguished. The tests were conducted on June 9, 2020, at Guttasjön Fire training site, outside Borås, Sweden, as part of the EU Funded LASH FIRE project. The objective of these tests is primarily to determine the feasibility of a fully autonomous fire detection and suppression system to protect cargo on open weather decks on RoRo ships. Other objectives of the project include, among many others, comparing and determining the performance of various fire detection technologies, and assess their performance and usability as fire detection systems on RoRo weather decks. The project LASH FIRE (Legislative Assessment for Safety Hazards of Fire and Innovations in Ro-ro ship Environment) aims to develop maritime fire safety solutions with innovative technologies, operations and applications. The consortium is coordinated by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden and comprises 26 partners from 13 Member States of the European Union, including Unifire AB of Sweden and other industry partners, research institutes, universities, regulatory bodies, trade associations and experts in communication and external relations. LASH FIRE will provide a basis for the revision of international maritime regulations and gives European industry knowledge to build safer and more competitive ships for sustainable transport. The European Commission, via its research and innovation programme Horizon 2020, invests 12.2 million euro in LASH FIRE over 4 years, starting in September 2019. LASH FIRE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 814975. For more information about the LASH FIRE project, see: lashfire.eu. For more information about the FlameRanger system, see: AutomaticFireFighting.com and UnifireAB.com.
(NOV 03 2020) Communication, information from WP03. The Lash Fire project webinar on “Fires in Alternatively Powered Vehicles onboard Ships” took place on 14 October 2020. With 240 participants it can be considered as a great success. The presentations, the results from the Mentimeter surveys and a compilation of the questions raised during the webinar and the answers from the respective speakers can be found on our website www.lashfire.eu.
Project "European Coast Guard Academy Network (ECGFA NET III)"
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. EXECUTIVE AGENCY FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES (EASME)
AGREEMENT NR – EASME/EMFF/2018/1.2.1. 3/SI2. 782278
The Maritime Rescue & Safety Agency is cooperating in developing training materials with European coastguard organisations.
The project, headed by the Finnish Border Guard to develop training cooperation between European coastguard organisations, has reached its final phase. The ECGFA NET III Project (European Coast Guard Functions Academy Network III Project) was launched in June 2018 as a continuation of the two previous phases.
During the third phase of the project, the work initiated to develop training cooperation and education harmonisation will be completed. The core goal of the project is to achieve a common framework regarding training competencies and qualifications in coastguard functions *in Europe (European Coast Guard Functions Sectoral Qualifications Framework - CGFSQF). The framework shall specify the shared features and minimum competency goals for European coastguard functions. This framework will allow the comparison of qualifications obtained in different countries and will make it possible to guarantee the quality of training throughout Europe. You can learn more about the purpose of the framework and the process under which it is being developed by viewing this video prepared by the Italian Coast Guard, which is leading the work to develop the sectoral qualifications framework.
The development of training cooperation is also performed at a practical level. The ECGF (European Coast Guard Functions Training Network), which was established during the project and through which member organisations can benefit from each other's training, plays a significant role. The information exchange platform of this network is the ECGF Training Portal, in which network members advertise the courses they have available and announce the operations conducted by their organisations.
An expanded training exchange programme, which was tested during the previous phase of the project, is also being implemented for members of the training network. This exchange programme provides the opportunity to learn about the operational activities of the host country during a one-week professional exchange or to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills through customised courses. You can get more information about this pilot stage of the exchange programme by watching this video prepared by the Finnish Border Guard.
Achieving long-term results requires the active participation of all project participants. In addition to the Finnish Border Guard, the project includes 10 other European national coastguard organisations. The Italian Coast Guard is leading the preparation of the sectoral qualifications framework and the Maritime Rescue and Safety Agency is responsible for the ECGF Exchange Programme, which will be defined from September/October 2018.
The organisations with observer status in the project are the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). Promoting this cooperation is the European Coast Guard Functions Forum, which is a consortium of law enforcement authorities and coastguard organisations. The total budget for the project is 625,000 euros, of which 80% is co-funded by the European Union.
Project "Monalisa 2.0"
C(2013) 7588 FINAL COMMISSION DECISION OF 5.11.2013 CONCERNING THE GRANTING OF UNION FINANCIAL AID FOR PROJECTS OF COMMON INTEREST ‘MONALISA 2.0’ - 2012-EU-21007-S - IN THE FIELD OF THE TRANS-EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORK (TEN-T)
This project was approved by the Decision of the Commission C(2013)7588 of 05 November 2003, granting financial aid from the European Union to projects of common interest in the field of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The overall goal is to contribute to the development of the motorways of the sea (MoS) in the EU in line with Community maritime transport policies and the e-Maritime concept, as well as to strengthen the efficiency, safety and the protection of the environment in maritime transport.
The Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima (Spanish Maritime Rescue and Safety Agency) is participating in the MONALISA 2.0 Project as a beneficiary, together with other public and private sector organisations from the following Member States: Sweden, Italy, Germany, Spain, Greece, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland and Finland. The Swedish Maritime Administration is coordinating the project. SASEMAR is participating in the development of Activity 1. "Sea Traffic Management Operations and Tools" and it is the beneficiary entrusted with the coordination of Activity 4. "Operational Safety".
In Activity 1, the contribution to the project was the integration of the Jovellanos Centre into the European Maritime Simulator Network (EMSN), which resulted in macro simulations to prove concepts such as route exchange, dynamic separation schemes and time slot allocation in congested waters. The EMSN was officially presented at the Barcelona Conference in October 2014.
Within Activity 4, the Spanish Maritime Rescue and Safety Agency developed the following Subactivities:
Sub-activity 4.2 Safety in Coastal Waters: the goal is to improve the interoperability between search and rescue services (SAR), passenger ships, information systems, and vessel traffic systems (VTS), and the maritime coordination centres.
A key element was the implementation of the Mass Maritime Rescue Drill SAREX-MONALISA, carried out in June 2015 in Valencia, and in which an accident affecting a large passenger ship was simulated. The SAREX-MONALISA 25-15 drill served both as a testbed on which to assess all the support tools and technologies developed within Activity 4 and as a way to display and disseminate the technologies among end users and operators in the sector.
Prior to the SAREX-MONALISA 25-15 drill, the Spanish Maritime Rescue and Safety Agency held several small-scale exercises and a simulation exercise (table top) that served as the starting point to develop, plan and organise the final large-scale drill. The table top exercise was held at the Jovellanos Centre in October 2014 and brought together the Maritime Administration as well as other National Agencies involved in large-scale emergencies onboard passenger ships.
Sub-activity 4.5. Information Systems: the goal is to adapt and integrate information and management systems connected to search, rescue and rescue at sea operations, in order to optimise operations and decision-making processes during a crisis and critical scenarios, such as accidents involving large passenger ships.
The Maritime Rescue information systems have been optimised to respond to mass rescue operations, in accordance with the goals of Monalisa 2.0. These are SIGO, the Web Viewer, SARMAP, NAVSAR, and the maritime safety application, SAFETRX. The SAREX-MONALISA 25-15 drill served as a testing ground for the optimisation of these systems.
Sub-activity 4.6. Training: the goal is to implement a practical set of courses covering operational safety, with special attention to emergency situations in passenger ships, to establish a standardised training programme based on proof of certification.
The purpose is to obtain the validation and the agreement of the training advisors at the IMO and EMSA so that the courses will meet their goals, and thus satisfy the need to improve the response to emergency situations affecting passenger ships, the coordination between the agencies involved, the exchange of information, and the decisions taken by the Administration.
To comply with the goals of this sub-activity, the following courses have been designed and delivered by the Jovellanos Centre: Massive Rescue Operation and Training in Fire Fighting and LNG.
Project "European Coast Guard Functions Academy"
APPROVED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH AGREEMENT Nr - EASME/EMFF/2014/1.2.1.1/SI2.702063
The Spanish Maritime Rescue and Safety Agency, through its Jovellanos Maritime Safety Centre, is participating in the European project titled “European Coast Guard Functions Academy” (co-funded by the EUROPEAN UNION) and is in charge of designing, planning and implementing the Coast Guard Training Portal. This portal will be publicised by European training institutions and centres and it will provide information regarding all training actions of interest aimed at improving the qualifications of members of the European Coast Guard, enabling them to adapt to new regulations. It will also provide information on events, news... in a systematic and accessible manner for all stakeholders.
This project is part of the European Coast Guard Functions Forum of which we have been members since its inception in 2008. Its goals include:
Support the establishment of a network of Coast Guard Function Academies that will strengthen cooperation among coastguard authorities.
Promote the exchange of students and experts among the academies and the coastguard authorities.
Design and construction of a training portal.
Planning and design of the basis for a voluntary sectoral qualification framework for coastguard functions.
The follow-up to the specifications of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for the harmonisation and strengthening of collaboration in the field of the mobility and education of students and experts.
Project "STM Validation Project"
NÚMERO DE ACCIÓN 2014-EU-TM-0206-S
ACUERDO DE SUBVENCIÓN BAJO LA INSTALACIÓN EUROPEA DE CONEXIÓN (CEF) - SECTOR DE TRANSPORTE ___ ACUERDO No INEA / CEF / TRAN / M2014 / 1034312
El proyecto STM VALIDATION ha sido otorgado por la Agencia Ejecutiva de Innovación y Redes, de la Comisión Europea, bajo el ACUERDO N ° - INEA / CEF / TRAN / M2014 / 1034312.
La Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima (Agencia Española de Rescate y Seguridad Marítima) participa como beneficiario en el Proyecto STM VALIDATION; El coordinador es la Administración Marítima Sueca (SMA).
El objetivo general es validar el concepto de Gestión del tráfico marítimo (STM), que se ha definido y desarrollado en MONALISA 2.0. Se implementará mediante el establecimiento de zonas de prueba de gestión del tráfico marítimo a gran escala en la región nórdica y en el mar Mediterráneo. También se proporcionará infraestructura para intercambiar información en estas áreas de prueba.
La Acción desarrollará estudios existentes sobre los efectos en los contratos de fletamento, aspectos legales y de responsabilidad, aspectos operativos, como usabilidad y seguridad cibernética, y proporcionará un análisis de costos basado en casos comerciales para las partes afectadas.
The European Commission has selected the 'CORE LNGas hive’ initiative, which won the competition called by Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) to develop the Trans-European Transport Network. A total of 16.5 million will be provided by the EU. The total investment will be 33 million euros and the project, headed by Puertos del Estado (Spanish State Port Authority) and coordinated by Enagás, has 42 partners in the Iberian Peninsula: eight institutional partners including the Directorate General of the Merchant Marine among others, 13 port authorities, and 21 industrial partners, LNG operators, shipbuilders, regasification companies and other partners.
The project is scheduled to last until 2020 and the institutional presence in the project aims to use any developments to propose the 'National Framework for Action' to make LNG the fuel used by ships in Spain.
In all, 681 projects were submitted to this European competition, of which 263 were selected, including CORE LNGas hive. The aim of the project is to develop an integrated, safe and efficient logistics chain to supply LNG as fuel to the transport sector, particularly to maritime transport, in the Peninsula.
It includes a total of 20 studies promoted by the partners to adapt infrastructures and develop logistic-commercial aspects that will make it possible to provide small-scale services and bunkering (LNG as fuel for ships). In this sense, three LNG implementation projects in the Basque Country's maritime industry, headed by the Basque Energy Board, Remolcadores Ibaizabal, and Itsas Gas Bunker Supply, will receive 4.85 million of the said 9.7 million on offer to invest in innovation.
In line with EU Directive 2014/94 on alternative fuels infrastructure (Clean Power for Transport), this project will contribute to the decarbonisation of the Mediterranean and Atlantic corridors. The Iberian Peninsula, with eight regasification plants, is in a geostrategic position and has the appropriate know-how in natural gas logistics.
Project "Picasso"
ACTION NUMBER 2015-EU-TM-0108-S
GRANT AGREEMENT UNDER THE CONNECTING EUROPE FACILITY (CEF) - TRANSPORT SECTOR __ AGREEMENT No INEA/CEF/TRAN/M2015/1123412
"Preventing Incidents and Accidents for Safer Ships on the Oceans"
The meeting that launched the Picasso project, co-funded by the European Commission, took place in Brussels on 10 November 2016. This project, which seeks to improve maritime safety through training and developing new technologies, has brought together 14 partners from 9 countries and is headed by the Spanish Maritime Rescue Agency.
What does Picasso imply?
The name, in addition to reminding us of the extraordinary artist from Malaga, is an acronym in English that summarises the goal of the project: Preventing Incidents and Accidents for Safer Ships on the Oceans. Picasso has a budget of 3.8 million euros and is framed within the overall goal of developing maritime motorways in the European Union, in line with Community maritime transport policies.
It was approved in July 2016 and is scheduled to end in July 2018.
The action will take place mainly in three fields:
Safety on land and on-board ships:
Developing technological tools to improve maritime safety through the exchange of information between port authorities and ships or developing remote-controlled vehicles.
Emergency simulations: Implementing solutions to react to emergencies faster and more efficiently. Mass evacuation drills will be performed in port.
Training and the human factor:Training the staff is a key element in preventing accidents at sea. To improve this aspect, we shall be using new tools and designing specialised courses, such as firefighting on-board ships and crisis management inside ports, among others. The Jovellanos Training Centre, dependent on the Spanish Maritime Rescue Agency, will play a key role in this activity.
Furthermore, a pioneering system to undertake automatic searches in the event of “man overboard” situations will be launched. This will require installing sensors with a special algorithm on aircraft that will make it possible to detect small objects automatically on the surface of the sea and transmit any possible targets detected to rescue coordination centres in real-time.
