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SFI-Sentre for forskningsdrevet innovasjon

SFI Smart Ocean - Flexible and cost-effective monitoring for management of a healthy and productive ocean

Alternative title: SFI Smart Ocean - Fleksibel og kost-effektiv monitorering for forvaltning av et bærekraftig og produktivt hav

Awarded: NOK 96.0 mill.

Sustainable management of Norwegian ocean resources, safe operations of underwater installations, and good co-existence of the ocean industries require better data and knowledge-based decisions. Currently, most measurements in the ocean, in the coastal areas and fjords are carried out from ships, drifting buoys and sometimes from submerged buoy and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). There is however a major lack of cost-effective real-time and long-term measurements from stationary and smart sensors, which can enable more systematic monitoring of important parameters at critical locations below water. SFI Smart Ocean aims to create a wireless observation system including associated cloud services for real time and long-term multi-parameter monitoring of underwater environments and installations as a basis for condition-based maintenance. The system will be based on a network of autonomous, energy efficient and smart underwater sensors for acquisition and analysis of large amounts of information on the ocean environment and offshore installations. Smart functionality in sensors and network will enable a superior utilization of the available data transmission capacity compared to existing solutions. Collected data is processed and stored in an associated cloud platform for data and application services. With a continuous focus on data quality at all levels, access to aggregated data will give authorities, marine industries, and research environments a much better basis for decisions. Long-term historical data from stationary sensors in the ocean and on installations, in fjords, coastal areas, harbours and industrial areas, combined with advanced data analysis, will provide warnings on incidents and anomalies in operational environments as well as the marine environment, as a decision-making basis for countermeasures and interventions. Preparations for implementation of wireless communication solutions also for drones is important to support autonomous operations. The centre works very interdisciplinary with a focus on interaction between technologies and partners so that the results from the research centre can have relevance and great value across the marine industries of petroleum, offshore wind, fisheries and aquaculture, and have an impact on increased sustainability, safety and cost-effectiveness within marine operations. To ensure the best possible innovation and value creation both for the partners in the centre and the marine industries in general, we have a lot of focus on ensuring maximum flexibility and making open and standardized solutions available both inside and outside the consortium. During 2023, several tests of monitoring equipment have been carried out in the sea at Austevoll, and permanently installed sensors provide data for use in the centre. Data from two rigs with sensors is made openly available via data services in the SFI Smart Ocean cloud and NMDC (Norwegian Marine Data Centre). These rigs are also used for field-trials with several different systems for wireless underwater communication. Furthermore, the centre has recruited two new PhD fellows in 2023, in addition to having associated several fellows and postdoctoral positions. Specifically, two SEAS postdoctoral fellows, who collaborate directly with SFI Smart Ocean, were employed at the University of Bergen to develop technology for the prevention of biofouling on surfaces under water. There is also active collaboration on Master's projects across the work-packages in the centre. SFI Smart Ocean continues to have extensive dissemination activities to present the centre at conferences and in various forums. Initiatives and applications for several spin-off projects have also been initiated. NCE Seafood Innovation became a new partner in the centre this year, so currently a total of 20 partners, ranging from the university, university college and institute sector, industrial companies, national authorities and industrial clusters are participating. The University of Bergen is the host institution, and the centre is affiliated with the Department of Physics and Technology at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

SFI Smart Ocean aims to create a wireless observation system for multi-parameter monitoring of underwater environments and installations. The system, based on autonomous smart sensors, will serve as an enabling fundament to realize flexible, distributed, robust, energy efficient, cost-effective, and safe marine measurements and big-data handling, to solve societal and industrial challenges. The Centre will address selected novel measurement technologies; a smart sensor platform commencing data pre-processing and compression; two-way underwater acoustic communication through the smart network architecture; and software technology covering the chain from data aquisition to interfacing relevant open data platforms. R&D challenges include; standardized, low energy and low cost underwater wireless communication; software and systems to enable Internet of Underwater Things; in addition to enabling sensors and technologies for measurement of integrity and environment over larger areas. Anti-biofouling nano-coating, and methods for optimizing the monitoring system for cost efficiency and measurement quality, are also key to ensure reliable data over long time-periods. The Centre will develop a vendor neutral and flexible network technology, and enable real-time high quality data. Sensors and equipment from vendors not participating in the Centre can be readily implemented in the network structure, allowing for further value creation also outside the Centre. Non-proprietary data collected by the system shall be made available through open data platforms for further use by industry, authorities, and scientists. Participating vendor companies will get access to the smart sensor platform and implement this in their sensors, increasing market shares through new innovations. The technology will enable increased autonomy for sustainable and profitable ocean industry operations, and fact-based ocean resource management; important to both ocean industries and authorities.

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SFI-Sentre for forskningsdrevet innovasjon

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IKT forskningsområdeKunstig intelligens, maskinlæring og dataanalyseHavbrukHavbruks- og foredlingsteknologiIKT forskningsområdeRobotikk, automatiseringAnvendt forskningInternasjonaliseringInternasjonalt prosjektsamarbeidIKT forskningsområdeSmarte komponenterDelportefølje InternasjonaliseringIKT forskningsområdeKommunikasjonsteknologiLTP3 Marine bioressurser og havforvaltningHavbrukInternasjonaliseringMarinPortefølje Klima og miljøMaritimLTP3 Havteknologi og maritim innovasjonMarinMarin forurensning inkl. miljøgifterGrunnforskningNaturmangfold og miljøMarin forurensning inkl. miljøgifterMarinHavbrukNaturmangfold og miljøBransjer og næringerDelportefølje KvalitetMaritimDigitalisering av maritim næringBransjer og næringerFiskeri og havbrukBransjer og næringerEnergi - NæringsområdeLTP3 Et kunnskapsintensivt næringsliv i hele landetPortefølje Mat og bioressurserBransjer og næringerOlje, gassBransjer og næringerIKT-næringenPetroleumReduksjon av klimagasser, energieffektivisering og miljøLTP3 Fagmiljøer og talenterDelportefølje Et velfungerende forskningssystemDigitalisering og bruk av IKTPolitikk- og forvaltningsområderDigitaliseringLTP3 Høy kvalitet og tilgjengelighetLTP3 Hav og kystDigitalisering og bruk av IKTPrivat sektorPortefølje InnovasjonPortefølje Banebrytende forskningPortefølje ForskningssystemetIKT forskningsområdeKutt i utslipp av klimagasserPortefølje Muliggjørende teknologierKlimarelevant forskningLTP3 IKT og digital transformasjonPetroleumLTP3 Muliggjørende og industrielle teknologierPolitikk- og forvaltningsområderOlje og gass - Politikk og forvaltningLTP3 Petroleum og mineralerLTP3 Styrket konkurransekraft og innovasjonsevnePolitikk- og forvaltningsområderPolitikk- og forvaltningsområderNæring og handelPortefølje Energi og transport