Ecossistema em Rede para Sistemas Subaquáticos Autónomos Reconfiguráveis

The main objective of the NERA UW project is to bridge the gap between fragmented, platform centric underwater technology developments and the deployment of scalable, cost effective and industrially validated European system of systems (SoS) solutions for long endurance autonomous maritime operations. This is achieved by integrating advanced autonomous platforms, persistent seabed systems and a secure AI based digital command and control framework, and by validating these technologies under representative operational conditions, while translating the results into deployable and industrially exploitable capacity within the EU. Strategic objectives -Develop and industrially validate critical digital and autonomous technologies that strengthen EU capabilities in maritime robotics, autonomy and secure SoS operation, in line with STEP priorities on digital and deep technologies. -Reduce EU strategic dependencies on extra EU suppliers of long endurance underwater systems by anchoring system integration, autonomy, control and deployment capabilities within European industrial value chains. -Reinforce and safeguard EU value chains associated with maritime security, offshore energy and critical infrastructure protection through EU based design, manufacturing, integration and validation of advanced underwater systems. -Accelerate market uptake by moving beyond laboratory scale validation towards full operational demonstration and by establishing productive innovation capacity enabling repeatable manufacturing, integration and deployment of SoS solutions. Scientific technological objectives -SoS level autonomous coordination under degraded connectivity: Establish and validate an integrated SoS capable of coordinated multi asset underwater operations with reduced human intervention, operating reliably under intermittent and degraded communications. > Define functional and operational requirements for SoS level autonomy and supervision. Develop distributed coordination and decision making mechanisms supporting cooperative behaviours between heterogeneous assets. > Validate supervision concepts shifting operators from “in the loop” to “on the loop” operation with reduced operator to asset ratios. -Modular long endurance AI enabled UUVs: Develop and validate modular unmanned underwater vehicles optimised for endurance (> 2 weeks), interoperability and cost efficient deployment. > Design and integrate energy efficient propulsion, power management and embedded computing architectures. > Develop AI based autonomy, navigation and mission execution functions suitable for long duration operations. > Laboratory validate integrated UUV prototypes and prepare them for SoS integration and operational testing. -Reconfigurable seabed landers for persistent operations: Develop modular seabed lander systems enabling persistent sensing, monitoring and communications at seabed level. > Design structural, mechanical and deployment solutions suitable for long term underwater operation. > Integrate low power computing, sensing, communications and autonomy modules. > Validate interoperability with mobile platforms and the C4 framework within the SoS. -AI based command, control and coordination (C4) framework: Develop and validate a cybersecure digital C4 framework enabling SoS level orchestration of autonomous underwater operations. > Design scalable and interoperable software architecture supporting heterogeneous assets. > Develop secure communications, human–machine interfaces and supervision tools for multi asset missions. > Validate system performance, cybersecurity and robustness under representative operational conditions. Productisation objective (Productive Innovation): Translate validated R&D results into sustained industrial and operational capacity within the EU. > Implement productive innovation investments supporting manufacturing, integration, testing and deployment. > Operationally qualify the tools and infrastructures required for repeatable SoS deployment and lifecycle support. > Prepare the technological and operational basis for market uptake across maritime security, offshore energy and infrastructure monitoring applications.