Ebook: Modern Technologies Enabling Innovative Methods for Maritime Monitoring and Strengthening Resilience in Maritime Critical Infrastructures

This book, Modern Technologies Enabling Innovative Methods for Maritime Monitoring and Strengthening Resilience in Maritime Critical Infrastructures, presents 23 papers delivered at the NATO Advanced Training Course (ATC) hosted in Agadir, Morocco, and held in hybrid format from 15–20 January 2024.

The workshop was attended by 23 speakers (21 in person), and 41 attendees all of them present. This NATO ATC proved to be a wonderful experience for many who attended it. There were speakers and attendees from 12 countries, all seeking modern technologies to enable innovative methods for maritime monitoring and the strengthening of resilience in maritime critical infrastructures.

The ATC focused on an interdisciplinary approach to monitoring and protecting critical maritime infrastructures and increasing their resilience. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has brought new risks, with both physical and cyber-attacks, often combined as a hybrid threat. The sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, together with other recent incidents, has made it clear that the resilience of critical infrastructure is under threat. Whether the target be pipelines, transport routes or undersea cables, a disruption in one country can have a cascading effect, with ramifications for other countries. Action is urgently needed to increase the capacity of NATO Countries to protect themselves against attacks on critical infrastructure, both in the EU and its direct neighborhood.

European NATO Countries are closely interconnected and interdependent, which, although it makes them stronger and more efficient, also renders them more vulnerable in the event of an incident. The European NATO Countries have a particular role to play with respect to infrastructures that cross borders or provide cross-border services, thus impacting the interests of several European NATO Countries. The importance of the subsea data cables that transport most of our data and are critical for global communication and the digital economy is an example of these cross-border services, and should be highlighted. Clear identification of such infrastructure and the entities operating them, together with a collective commitment to protect them, is in the interest of all NATO Countries.

Legal frameworks, such as Document 52022DC0551 -Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on a coordinated approach by the Union to strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure, COM/2022/551 final, for the protection of critical infrastructure elements have gradually been developed in European Countries, but are still missing in other, mainly non-EU, countries.

For the past decade, the attention of the developed democratic nations has been focused on the protection of vital objects, with science and research gradually focusing more attention on security and critical infrastructure protection. Less attention has been paid to critical maritime infrastructures and the need to increase their resilience.

Maritime infrastructures are ‘critical’ because they are fundamental to the working of societies and economies. They play a crucial role in supply, in the functioning of the economy, the maintenance of mobility and the deployment of renewable energies. They are so deeply inscribed that most of the time they are invisible and are designed to function without raising any attention. Since they exist in the background, receiving little scrutiny, they are also particularly vulnerable.

It is worth noting that the maritime industry accounts for 90% of commercial trade exchanges carried out worldwide, whereby the supply chains of the main production sectors are heavily dependent on it. This maritime sector, as a vital part of the global economy, must therefore be protected from threats and cyber attacks. A single incident could lead to a major environmental or economic disaster, possibly even one capable of causing loss of life. The maritime sector is now in the process of adapting to the new technological environment demanded by information technologies and is integrating operational technology with the aim of optimizing management processes.

In 2017, the MAERSK shipping company faced an attack of the Petya virus, which temporarily limited its commercial and logistical operations, damaging not only the company’s reservation system and slowing container tracking, but also causing congestion in 76 ports operated by its subsidiary, APM Terminals, around the world. There are more than 50,000 merchant ships operating internationally transporting all types of cargo. These ships must berth in critical infrastructures such as ports, platforms, refineries, pipelines, power stations, etc. in order to carry out their usual operations.

Due to the exceptional growth of container shipping, ports have become one of the most important links in the logistics chain in recent years. the possible illicit activities of cybercrime or cyber terrorism in these CIs can affect the economic and institutional activities of the countries involved, and are always the cause of losses to multiple economic actors, due to the collapse of processes and services. The in-service monitoring of ports may involve several aspects, depending on the type of port and the target of the monitoring. The specification for in-service monitoring is because in many cases, monitoring during construction is aimed at optimizing the design/construction process. The construction of large ports usually takes several years to complete and may involve settlement of the seabed, erosion by waves and streams, tilting of caissons etc. It requires a large number of topographic and bathymetric surveys. In-service monitoring on the other hand can be aimed at: (i) improving knowledge of the site or monitoring the effects of the structure on the environment; (ii) validating design hypotheses or applicable standards; and (iii) serving as a basis for maintenance operations.

The design of such a monitoring system should be addressed at acquiring information able to characterize the state of the entire structure. A common aspect is the monitoring of environmental conditions (wind, waves, streams, dynamics of nearby coastlines) and the evolution of the seabed close to the breakwater foundations, because this may disclose a tendency to erosion, soil liquefaction or soil failures which might cause the collapse of the breakwater. It should be noted that the presence of a breakwater always alters the equilibrium of a coastal area. In both cases, a clear understanding of the potential failure mechanisms is crucial in designing a monitoring program.

Resilience is the ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate to and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Many disciplines have devised their own definitions of resilience. These differ in their focus and associated objectives, which may be of a technological, economic, environmental, or even social nature. In technology-related fields, resilience is often seen as the ability of technology systems to continue to operate, even in the event of the failure of specific subsystems due to internal or external disturbances. Typical solutions include system layouts with redundant components, and the provision of backup functionalities which ultimately ensure that a nominal resistance is achieved or increased when faced with internal or external disruptions. In sociotechnical systems, the emphasis is instead on hazard management, damage limitation and the recovery of functionality and performance. Due to its critical nature, the resilience of maritime infrastructures cannot be considered separately from the related safety and security aspects. Nominal resistance is a design criterion, and determines the need for proactive and reactive safety and security measures in technological and socio-technical disciplines, with the aim of ultimately achieving the desired operational performance under current conditions. Nonetheless, resilience is an ongoing challenge that needs to be managed operationally throughout a maritime infrastructure’s entire lifecycle. This requires agile safety and security management that is integrated into the technological and sociotechnical aspects of the maritime infrastructure. Therefore, when we speak about critical maritime infrastructure protection, we are considering it in the context of the entire spectrum of possible threats, which are classified into three main types: (i) natural events; (ii) technical/technological failure/human error/accident; and (iii) intentional acts such as terrorism, crime, or war. If the CI elements (physical and IT) are to be protected, the essential task is prevention, i.e., discovering and predicting the threats.

The aim of the ATC was to cover the problem in an interdisciplinary manner, with the innovative approach of using advanced methods for monitoring and protection.

Morocco was selected for the location of the workshop as a NATO Partner Country with a pressing need for knowledge of possible threats and an awareness of security developments such as those concerning early warnings with a view to preventing crises. Morocco has an extensive coastline which includes two different maritime ecosystems, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. The coastline of Morocco has the potential to be an essential tool for enhancing social and economic stability. Poverty and malnutrition could be eradicated if a sufficient food supply were available from fish, so it is vital that overexploitation and pollution be discouraged, as these may lead to disaster. Furthermore, income-generating activities such as tourism should be encouraged by developing clean marine biodiversity. For these results to be achieved, the use of modern technologies enabling innovative methods of maritime monitoring and increasing the resilience of maritime critical infrastructures is fundamental for the development of Morocco..

Those attending the ATC were researchers and students specializing in the security of infrastructures (security studies, infrastructural engineering, electrical engineering, etc.), security officers dealing with the security challenges of critical infrastructure, stake holders, and experts in terrorism or other violent threats. They were looking for specialized knowledge from experts who deal with problems related to CI protection.

There were two most significant benefits for attendees:

∙ acquaintance with and knowledge of the development of modern technologies which, when applied to technical protection systems, can provide safety and security for critical infrastructure concentrated on civil engineering objects.

∙ shared knowledge and ideas for future scientific and technical activities in the field of research and development of the protection of critical infrastructure using elevated monitoring systems and high-performance structural materials.

The first part of the ATC was dedicated to the analysis of the various threats to maritime critical infrastructure and to legal aspects, mainly in the context of a Moroccan point of view. The approach of NATO Countries was presented to disseminate this to participating NATO Partner Countries.

The second part focused on new methodologies such as Unmanned Systems (USs) and sensor networks, which may help to recognize various threats (terrorism-explosion, crime-cyber-attacks, natural events – flooding etc.), and on the modeling of behavior of critical infrastructure elements under such threats, with the aim of designing adequate means of protection from the new intentional actions, not only by USs.

USs have been growing rapidly in popularity in recent years. Tactical USs are now used extensively by the military and various security services, while professional USs are becoming increasingly common in a variety of civilian fields. This expansion in the use of USs is due to advances in technology, as well as to their versatility, and to the reduction in size, risk, and cost that remotely operated systems offer because there is no pilot or operator on board. USs include ground control stations (GCS), data communication links, and a range of unmanned aerial (UAV), ground (UGV) and underwater (UUV) vehicles. USs are being used more and more in mainstream applications as the technology matures, leading to more ways of refining how platforms are deployed and integrated into teams of workers.

Performance in autonomy comes mainly from the massive use of advanced IT technology as the core of the USs. Unfortunately, an obvious drawback is that wireless USs are heavily exposed to risks related to the IT subsystems. The data is so valuable, in fact, that the companies deploying USs aren’t the only ones interested in getting their hands on it, with some people even willing to steal it. Operators should consider the security of data collected via USs as a critical part of their risk management program. Questions of cybersecurity in the domain of USs has become more important, as has the potential for the misuse of small USs for criminal and other malicious purposes. These are growing developments that need to be addressed in education and training, so that qualified personnel are able to engage these challenges. USs can also be used for the forecasting and prevention of natural catastrophes through the frequent and punctual monitoring of the maritime territory, for the monitoring of existing critical infrastructure elements, and for discovering the defects of elements and preventing against failure.

The ATC paid particular attention to maritime unmanned systems. These are becoming more popular for improving safety and efficiency while reducing operational costs. The use of USs is a game changer in maritime technology. They can deliver benefits across a broad range of missions, such as the detection and clearing of mines, the monitoring and protection of undersea lines of communication and underwater cables, maritime situational awareness, and the finding and tracking of submarines. They will also reduce the costs and increase the safety of such operations. Unmanned systems can help to overcome the constraints faced by traditional, crew-dependent maritime platforms, such as ships or submarines, in terms of the areas they can cover, direct and indirect costs, and personnel. Mine-clearing operations, for example, pose risks to the health and safety of crew members; autonomous systems can take over this task while crew members supervise the operation from a safe distance. Working alongside traditional naval assets, USs can also improve situational awareness, which is critical in ensuring free access to the seas.

One part of the ATC was dedicated to data analysis and modeling. The application of computer modeling software for forecasting dangerous natural hazards, and the mapping of the current state of risk factors in particular, as well as the process of defect detection through the data fusion of processed images and vibration measurements. Automation in defect image acquisition by USs, embedding sensor systems to revalorize and transform elements and structures into self-diagnostic elements, and data-driven automatic alert procedures in monitored maritime structures were also covered. The ATC also provided essential information to allow the detection of risks, with a significant portion dedicated to the possibilities for the analysis, elaboration, and modeling of threats to critical infrastructure.

The ATC was divided into 4 blocks.

Block 1: General aspects of strengthening the resilience of maritime critical infrastructure

1.1 Protection and resilience of maritime critical infrastructures in Morocco

1.2 Protection and resilience of maritime critical infrastructure in NATO Countries.

Block 2: Unmanned Systems and sensor network technology for monitoring threats to maritime critical infrastructures.

2.1 Unmanned Systems for maritime exploration

2.2 Sensor network and technologies for monitoring critical infrastructures.

Block 3: Monitoring, data analysis and structural modeling

3.1 Monitoring and forecasting of natural catastrophes

3.2 Modeling and data analyses.

Block 4: Cybersecurity and protection of IT maritime infrastructures, plus one practical section: Practical training activities.

The practical section was held after the theoretical interdisciplinary presentation, during which participants were able to acquire practical skills related to the presented areas, such as using maritime drones for building and critical infrastructure inspection, 3D mapping in the laboratory, use of environmental monitoring systems, and building information modeling and the finite element modeling of critical infrastructure elements.

The event offered attendees the opportunity to consider many profound ways in which unmanned systems and sensor network technology can be used for monitoring threats to maritime critical infrastructures.

A technical visit to the Higher Institute of Maritime Fisheries (ISPM) and to Research Vessel Sina 2 of the National Institute for Fisheries Research contributed to the impact of this ATC on speakers and attendees, as well as on the wider scientific community of participants in the follow-on activities, such as joint research projects, innovative courses, and the design, development and testing of new maritime applications.

It is worth mentioning the presentation from Setelgroup, an Italian company located in Rome, of their innovative Unmanned Vehicle suitable for the monitoring of maritime critical infrastructures in an amphibious environment.

The practical lesson, Marine drones for environmental protection, held by Emanuele Della Volpe, Green Tech Solution, Italy as part of the onsite practical training activities proved to be a great success. The central part of the lesson concerned a description of the identification, classification, and recovery system of floating marine waste with an autonomous catamaran, with an explanation of the main phases of the process. During the experimental lesson, it was possible for trainees to attend the operational phases of planning and execution of seabed monitoring with ROVs.

Finally, the presentations of two Ukranian researchers, Iryna Sitak and Natalia Shyriaieva from the National Technical University Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute attracted great attention. Sitak spoke on Maritime Infrastructure and Its Crucial Role in Ukraine’s Economy: Challenges and Impact Before and During the Full-Scale Invasion in February 2022. Shyriaieva dealt with Rebuilding Ukraine’s Economy: Leveraging Maritime Infrastructure for Resilience and Growth.

During the Closing Ceremony a Certificate of Attendance was offered to all participants.

ATC website: https://www.atcnato-universiapolis.com

The issue of security currently has a number of challenges. One of the most important is global warming, another is the significant increase in the global population, cyber threats and the accelerating development of SMART technologies in connection with artificial intelligence. More than 71 per cent of the Earth’s surface is covered by seas and oceans. Much of it is very remote from human settlements. Changes in the global environment have led to a shift in the approach in protecting critical infrastructure and their transition to enhancing the resilience of critical entities. Research on the new approach has been successfully conducted at the University of Žilina for a long period of time. Past and current research projects are directed to the area of linking high technologies with social sciences. Security research is always multi-level and multi-disciplinary.

The maritime sector is transitioning towards the ambitious targets of the European Green Deal, aiming to reduce net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This transition involves significant decarbonization efforts, particularly in ports which are key hubs for international trade and transportation. The incorporation of life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology helps evaluate GHG emissions across the full lifecycle of fuels (“Well-to-Wake”), guiding sustainable fuel use and infrastructure development, while building maritime infrastructure resilience involves integrating risk assessment of threats from natural disasters, cyber-attacks, terrorism, and other disruptions. Integration of the two approaches (LCA and Risk assessment) has the potential for building maritime infrastructure resilience and at the same time finding optimal strategies for meeting the sustainability goals. This paper reviews the current state of maritime sector towards meeting European Green Deal targets and analysis exiting research on building resilience of maritime infrastructure. Finally, based on existing findings in literature, the paper suggests integrating risk assessment within LCA, moving towards a probabilistic LCAs in maritime sector.

This work aims to fill theoretical and operational gaps in managing the interfaces and shared impacts of safety and security risks in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) ports which threaten the supply chain with high risks and disruption. It proposes a holistic and integrated approach to security risk assessment and management in LNG ports and marine terminals, which are strategically located midstream the supply chain and present credible targets for international terrorism. Rising global demand has focused on safety and security concerns spanning LNG production, transport, distribution, and related infrastructures. To prevent interruptions and to raise supply chain robustness and resilience, LNG port safety and security risk management is viewed from a supply chain perspective and the relationships and shared impacts are examined. A case study embracing multiple research methods engaged expert practitioners in reformulating the prevailing dichotomous approach to risk management. A holistic approach, considered essential, was encapsulated in a practical conceptual model for LNG port integrated safety and security risks and emergency management, including risk prevention, mitigation, emergency planning and response, and port business continuity. Implementation is urgent at LNG ports lacking this approach.

The threat related to explosive materials in the water domain has not yet gotten the attention it deserves. For many years in European Countries, this hazard was reduced to unexploded explosive ordnance (UXO) or abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO). During peacetime, Europe was focused on economic growth and governments, with public support, were cutting military spending below NATO’s target of 2% of GDP (Grand, 2023). The Navy was the first victim of the mandatory budget cuts. Investments in new equipment and the development of modern procedures were put on hold. The Russian attack on Ukraine and the Nord Stream sabotage was a wake-up call for most NATO members. An attack on EU vital maritime infrastructure with the help of sophisticated improvised devices, outdated widely used weapons and explosives, or unidentified ordnance is more likely than ever. At the same time, the size of the maritime area to be protected and the nature of the threats make it difficult to track the adversary and link the explosive event to a certain country or organization. If such devices are found within important maritime infrastructure or sensitive systems, non-violent methods may be used by Navy specialists to defeat the explosive weapons. NATO commitments to strengthen maritime capabilities are visible in the increased defense spending and the demand for new equipment and capabilities.

Robotics and automation are started being used in the last two decades as excellent tools for the monitoring, inspection, relief of suitable data related to buildings and infrastructure, for their monitoring and further maintenance, and nowadays they can be considered well accepted. Great attention must be devoted to maritime infrastructures, which are the focus of the Chapter, indeed the types of robotic solutions for inspection that should be considered can be unmanned aerial (UAV), ground (UGV) and underwater (UUV) vehicles. In this Chapter, all these types of robotic solutions will be presented and discussed, taking into account their main characteristics, advantages and limitations, also providing design issues. Commercial prototypes will be shown as illustrative examples.

Seafloor multiparametric observatories have been proven to be a useful instrumentation for monitoring a wide range of quantities that are of interest for several disciplines, ranging from geophysics, to marine biology and engineering. This chapter will present in the first part the general requirements for multiparametric observatories and will give an overview of the most widely used sensors. Then the main challenges for the electronic design will be presented and some solutions from the literature will be described. Finally, the activity carried out at the University of Sannio in collaboration with the National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology about the design of a data acquisition system for a seafloor observatory will be described.

Advancements in technology have facilitated the emergence of unmanned systems and vehicles utilized across aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic domains. The scope of applications for these systems is steadily expanding, prompting a plethora of studies and research endeavors. This research delves into the pivotal role of sensors and measurements in ensuring the optimal functionality of unmanned systems. It explores how these systems can meet the demands of diverse applications, enhance their navigation capabilities, and effectively monitor environmental variables. The discussion encompasses various types of unmanned systems and the key environmental factors influencing their performance. Additionally, it examines the array of measurements feasible with such vehicles, alongside an exploration of commonly employed onboard sensor technologies, including their strengths and limitations. The research also offers insights into sensor specifications pertinent to current applications and highlights recent advancements in the field of research, focusing the last few sections on a brief review of the advancement in the field of Quantum Sensing and Sensors.

A paper deals with the use of UAV-based aerial photography in surface imaging. The main limitation of this photogrammetry is the problem of the insufficient accuracy of determining the Z coordinates of terrain points. The aim of this article is to highlight the problems related to the accuracy of the Z coordinates in the created terrain models based on UAV images and to propose simple techniques to overcome these problems. A proposed solution is based on the idea to use an unnamed aerial vehicle equipped with a digital camera and a GPS system, and additionally a laser rangefinder mounted on it, equipped with a results recording system. Due to application of this solution it is possible to eliminate the need to use reference points in the field and to ensure good coordinates accuracy from specific points in the captured image, associated with a group of pixels in the camera matrix. The article presents a description of the novel configuration of the system used and the method of data collection and processing as well as the analysis of the initial tests obtained. Finally the future research directions are shortly appointed.

The maritime industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the integration of digital twins, the Metaverse, and robotics. These technologies enhance maritime asset management by improving efficiency, safety, and adaptability in naval and commercial operations. Digital twins enable predictive maintenance, the Metaverse facilitates immersive training and operational planning, and robotics ensure safe and precise maintenance tasks. The article addresses the challenges of technology adoption, including cost and system integration, and discusses the shift from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0, emphasizing autonomous and sustainable operations. It advocates for wider adoption and further research to harness these technologies for a more efficient and resilient maritime future.

After a wide study of literature in which are presented how the researchers in the world interpret generically the concepts of fast deployment and early warning, we tried to show how they contextualize these concepts in the world of marine environment and better focused on autonomous systems for marine environment. We highlighted advantageous but, still more important, identifying some common tarts that however we consider to complete. For this aim, we propose our declination for the concept of fast deployment, marine environments early warning autonomous system even presenting a sketch of the vehicle although not in depth.

Protecting the ocean against the litter is becoming a global concern and there is a growing need worldwide for more efficient, clean and autonomous technologies to identify and collect marine detritus, especially plastics, in a systematic and repetitive way. GTS is an agile and innovative start-up that operates in the field of environmental protection and blue growth economy. GTS has developed a unique approach to attack the marine litters problem through intelligent systems driving the operation of unmanned air and water vehicles that autonomously identify and collect floating plastic wastes in the sea. Artificial intelligence is the engine of the systems that elaborate effective strategy to recover floating waste through the use of autonomous air and sea unmanned vehicles operating under a collaborative swarm approach. The use of HPC makes it possible to tackle a computational problem that GTS met during its service for recovery plastic litter in sea: optimizing the plastic litter recovery strategy forecasting the position of hundreds of detritus floating in the sea with suitable accuracy in space and time.

Coastal erosion is a significant phenomenon, especially for small island states like Malta. In this section, we describe the geology of Malta and its main coastal features. We present a series of methods from remote and proximity sensing and near-surface geophysics. We showcase case studies in Malta where the combination of these methods allows for a detailed understanding of coastal morphology and sediment dynamics. Projects focusing on continuous monitoring and advanced methodologies demonstrate the importance of integrating modern tools to understand and mitigate coastal erosion. These efforts are vital for enhancing the resilience of Malta’s coastal areas, protecting the economy, and preserving natural and cultural heritage.

High-quality maritime spatial planning, coastal zone management, management of marine resources, environmental assessments and forecasting require comprehensive understanding of the seabed. In response to the needs already in 2008, the European Commission established the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). The EMODnet concept is to assemble existing but often fragmented and partly inaccessible marine data into harmonised, interoperable, and publicly freely available information layers which encompass whole marine basins. As the data products are free of restrictions on use the program is supporting any European maritime activities in promotion of sustainable use and management of the European seas. EMODnet-Geology project is delivering integrated geological map products which are aimed to be user friendly for public administration, research and education, maritime industry, and the general public.

Based on marine geophysical data collected during the IT-Navy HIGH NORTH20 and HIGH NORTH21 campaigns, a 3D integrated mapping of a region between 78.5-81°N and 1-12°E, where the Molloy Hole is located (Fram Strait – Arctic Ocean), has been developed. The Molloy Hole is the deepest undersea feature of the Arctic Ocean and plays a structural key role in the ocean geodynamics in terms of new ocean seafloor and gravitational mass movement, sink or barrier to the dynamics of the water masses with confined sedimentary processes in the presence of melting ice, polar and Atlantic water. The ocean surface (water and ice), the water column and the seabed data, thanks to an integrated-multidisciplinary approach and harmonization techniques named ‘imagery box’, has been processed using MATLAB R2021b to obtain a high-resolution 3D model. In particular, the research activities collected water column, bathymetry and acoustic backscatter from multibeam sonar surveys, CTD (Conductivity Temperature Depth) data, and sedimentary samples from box corers. The need for visualization to aid in the comprehensive analysis of all elements of this imaginary box is the main reason behind this research. Consequently, it seeks to integrate in situ and remote sensing measurements to provide an integrated mapping of the study area as a one single product. To achieve this goal, it is essential to optimize the process by standardizing the file formats so that all data can converge into a complete 3D depiction of the elements that compose the ocean: sea surface, water column and seafloor. The unification of distinct geospatial data should be of great help to scientists when analyzing their own ‘imaginary boxes’. This mapping is an integrated data product starting from the raw data to create a unique processing tool, and to produce a complete and comprehensive depiction of the 3D marine environment. This 3D integrated mapping highlights the undersea features as the drivers of the dynamics of the Molloy Hole from the sea surface to the ocean bottom.

Maritime transport is a key mode of transport in carrying bulk, general, and liquid cargo between the continents. This mode of transport is important not only for maritime but also for inland countries. The Slovak Republic is the leading country in car production in the world. Nowadays, four world car companies have their assembly plans there, another is under construction. Most of the spare parts that are essential for car production are transported by maritime transport on an old trade route between Europe and Asia leading through the Suez Canal, and the Strait of Malacca. All logistics activities are carried out in maritime ports that play the role of logistics hubs. While the port of Rotterdam is significant for the countries of Western Europe, the port of Koper or the German ports (port of Hamburg and the port of Bremerhaven) are significant for the countries of Central Europe. Some of these maritime ports have already built fully automated container terminals to increase their throughput and reduce the downtimes of seagoing vessels.

Recent methods for in-situ monitoring and actuation through modern fixed and mobile marine technologies are becoming nowadays a very useful tool that helps scientists and stakeholders to monitor, sample, and actuate at unprecedented locations in the ocean. These systems have an ever-expanding range of applications. They can operate both in the surface and in the deep waters to carry out scientific missions like profiling, mapping, and geological and geophysical surveys; commercial missions like inspecting assets and infrastructure; exploration missions for minerals and seabed mining; and public authority missions like surveillance and search and find (like finding aircraft wreckage). Monitoring networks of cooperative underwater marine robotics can expand the spatiotemporal measuring capabilities, resolution, and reach, providing the suitable infrastructure to manage data flow from robotic technologies equipped with innovative sensor payloads. The author’s experience in the design and construction of cabled seabed observatories is taken as background, and this chapter will give an overview of different types of marine technologies, the challenges of navigation, geolocalization, different types of missions, payload, and applications where the different devices and marine equipment arrive where humans do not.

This paper analysis the importance of green transformation technologies in port infrastructure management. As sites for the exchange of products and commodities, ports are essential to international trade and transportation. Sustainability is, however, severely hampered by the environmental effects of port operations, which include noise pollution, congestion, and contamination of the air and water. The application of Internet of Things (IoT) technology to the green transformation of ports is the subject of this article. Ports may improve environmental sustainability, lower emissions, and streamline operations by utilizing automation, data analytics, and IoT sensors. The basic elements of IoT-enabled green ports are covered in this study, including predictive maintenance, energy management, smart infrastructure, and emissions monitoring. A case study of Durres Port Authority is analyzed by describing the actual IoT and smart technologies that are identified. The possibilities for the integration of digital twin are considered to improve the monitoring and operation issues which are the most important for the strategic role that the most important port in Albania plays. Furthermore, there is important to mention the obstacles to IoT adoption for green port efforts, including cybersecurity threats, interoperability issues, and stakeholder engagement techniques. Overall, the study contributes to the larger objective of building a greener and more sustainable marine sector by offering insights into the transformative potential of IoT technology in promoting sustainability and resilience in port operations.

This chapter provides an overview of the evolving landscape of attacks in cyber-physical systems (CPS) and critical infrastructures, highlighting the possible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to develop intelligent cyberattacks. It describes various existing methods used to carry out intelligent attacks in Operational Technology (OT) environments and discusses AI-driven tools that automate penetration tests in Information Technology (IT) systems, which could potentially be used as attack tools. The chapter also discusses mitigation strategies to counter these emerging intelligent attacks by hindering the learning process of AI-based attacks and points to future research directions on the matter.

In maritime transportation, networks are often interconnected to ensure efficient operations and connectivity across various routes and ports. Understanding the dynamics of traffic flow in such interconnected networks is crucial for optimizing maritime logistics and minimizing congestion. While the majority of conducted studies on the field of interconnected networks focus on the developed concept of interconnected networks and on the other hand, on finding the optimal coupling to avoid traffic congestion in interconnected networks. Inspired by many different routing algorithm strategies used in isolated networks, this paper shifts focuses on the impact of routing schemes on traffic dynamics within interconnected maritime networks. Our study aims to analyze how different border routing schemes affect traffic dynamics and overall network performance in interconnected maritime environments. Simulation results show that our proposed method Border Administrative Authority (BAA) yields superior outcomes without extra cost and load of traffic to overcome the congestion problem in traffic dynamics in interconnected maritime networks.

The detection of small radar cross section (RCS) targets is one of the most critical requirements for modern radars deployed in coastal and maritime scenarios. This requirement reflects the need to have a rapid awareness about the presence of potential threats close to strategical areas like military harbours, power plants, offshore facilities for oil and gas extraction, preserved wilderness area, etc. The first part of this article overviews the state-of-the-art of high-resolution radars working in X-band and Ka-band. The higher resolution leads to better target separation that is a key benefit in dense or restricted areas where close moving objects can be merged together by traditional maritime radars. The detection performance of these sensors is analyzed considering worst-case scenario where the RCS of a sea wave can exceed the RCS of a real small target. If proper clutter filtering is not adopted, the principal consequence of a high presence of sea clutter is the masking of real target echoes and the increasing of the false alarm rate with subsequent detection performance degradation. Modern processing techniques for the detection of small targets in sea clutter are then presented; these include both non-coherent techniques based on constant false alarm rate (CFAR), time-frequency diversity, scan-to-scan correlation and coherent multichannel techniques.

In the field of vital signs monitoring, there is a growing trend towards transposing monitoring technologies into people’s daily lives. Currently, the work revolves around wearables. However, wearables have known limitations, mainly the need for voluntary actions to acquire the signals of interest, low battery life, and abandonment, which leads to the search for new solutions. An evolution is the integration of sensors into the environment or everyday objects through invisible devices (also known as “off the person” sensing). Properly assessing and matching the patient and their caregiver to the appropriate monitoring technology, while considering the suitability of the home environment for device operation and maintenance is a challenge that depends on sound human factors principles. This article reviews the current key features and technologies to provide an overview of the existing invisibles landscape.

In the 21st century, stress has emerged as a major epidemic, impacting various sectors. The current methods to assess stress and related mental health issues are still mostly based on self-reporting questionnaires, which are time-consuming, prone to bias, do not allow for continuous monitoring, and are not scalable. This results in mental health issues being diagnosed only after the symptoms are severe enough to be noticed by others. Poor mental health is linked to a prolonged state of negative emotions. The significance of these conditions has led researchers to explore the use of emotion recognition systems to assess mental health issues. This chapter offers a look at the state of the art surrounding emotion, encompassing its definition, fundamental theories, and various measurement methodologies. Our review aims to elucidate how emotion recognition technologies can be achieved, towards enhancing mental health interventions. Poor mental health not only diminishes the well-being of individuals but also elevates the risk of errors and accidents, thereby compromising operational effectiveness.

This study emphasis on the changes in maritime sector in Ukraine since February 2022. It was shown the importance for the country’s economy to unblock the water routes and open the Ukrainian corridor in 2023 to stabilize the export-import operations. Due to the constant development of the Ukrainian corridor, the agricultural production is successfully exported through the open ports and sometimes the volumes have reached the pre-war data. At the same time, the other production like ferrous or energy resources meets challenges. Thus, ferrous have been mined but can’t be transported, which creates the necessity to further negotiations within the international trade agreements. Considering ports as an entry gate to the country and dependency of port operations from the energy supply, the energy security of ports was considered. Following the IEA-methodology, the indicators of energy security in Ukraine by MOSES model were estimated and compared. The dependence on imports of several energy sources and variety of exporters keep the risk of supply chain disruptions very high. Alternative energy sources are a key to the energy security of port operations and their resilience capacity. The analysis delved into the primary partnerships and international project initiatives, with a focus on modernizing and reconstructing the physical infrastructure of ports and transportation modes. Analysis of the strategies showed the necessity for the improvements due to the focus of exporting-importing on the Danube region.