Rationale

A long-term approach to cross-sectorial technological cooperation is required. In particular, new applications for maritime technologies in extreme environments (deep-sea, seabed, Arctic) require new material properties and functions. They need to be reliable, safe, efficient, economically feasible, and environmental friendly over their entire life cycle.

Public-Private partnerships across sectors can deliver breakthroughs on a range of enabling technologies including structures, platforms, new materials, sensors and marine bionics.

Activities

• Working towards the creation of an oceans technology and engineering community from which cross-sectoral joint actions and public-private partnerships in specific research areas will be launched to strengthen Europe’s global competitiveness. Activities will focus on technologies for maritime operations and platforms on the surface and in the deep-sea.
• Research for the qualification and development of new materials for new applications under extreme environmental conditions: Activities will address the qualification of materials and concepts for new applications under extreme environmental conditions, and the development of new materials, structures and functional principles by learning from nature (bionics and biomimetics).
• Sensors development for autonomous operation: Activities will focus on the development of new sensors to monitor physical, chemical and biological parameters by integrating knowledge on marine environmental research, nano-materials, electronics, biotechnology and ICT. This should include the miniaturisation and improvement of the power systems for both platforms and sensors to increase their autonomy.

Timescale