On 12 May 2026, AI4COPSEC and THEIA hosted the joint online workshop “Next-Generation Solutions for Maritime Safety and Crisis Response”, marking the first of three workshops that will be organised by AI4COPSEC throughout the project.
The one-hour webinar gathered 82 participants to examine how Copernicus has enhanced situational awareness at EU borders and maritime areas, supporting maritime safety, search and rescue efforts, and the protection of people along migration routes. Discussions also focused on the growing role of AI/ML, GeoAI, high-performance computing, and digital twins in combining Earth Observation (EO) with AIS, OSINT, and other data sources to strengthen operational decision-making.
The workshop showcased how the AI4COPSEC and THEIA projects are contributing to the evolution of Copernicus Security services through advanced AI- and EO-enabled solutions for border and maritime security, crisis response, and forced displacement monitoring. Presentations highlighted practical applications of AI/ML, data fusion, and EO technologies in areas such as search and rescue operations, oil spill response, illegal fishing detection, migration monitoring, and crisis management.
Speakers included Prof. Peter Nielsen (Aalborg University), Yann Guichoux (eOdyn), Tomás Egido Herraez (OHB LuxSpace), and Liza Panagiotopoulou (Geosystem Hellas), while Deborah Caruso (Magellan Circle) moderated the webinar and facilitated the interactive Q&A session. Audience could engage with the speakers thanks to live polls and a real-time question platform during the workshop.
The eight interactive polls conducted during the webinar reflected strong alignment between participant interests and the workshop themes. Border security, data fusion and interoperability, and Earth observation emerged as equally important focus areas, while responses concerning search and rescue challenges and the future potential of AI and EO technologies demonstrated clear operational priorities among attendees.
The webinar attracted a diverse and high-level stakeholder audience, bringing together representatives from law enforcement, public authorities, research organisations, academia, and industry. Participation from organisations such as Frontex, Guardia Civil, Polícia Judiciária, the Romanian Coast Guard, CNES, EASA, SatCen, EMSA, Indra, the OSCE Border Security Section, the University of Glasgow, and Leiden University underlined the event’s relevance across operational, scientific, and policy domains.
Looking at demographics, participants joined from 28 countries, with particularly strong representation from Spain, Greece, and Italy, as well as attendees from beyond Europe, including the United States, Indonesia, and South Africa. The audience also reflected broad cross-sector interest, especially from the aerospace & defence, consulting, education, government, software, legal, and high-tech sectors.
As the opening event in the AI4COPSEC workshop series, the webinar established a strong foundation for continued collaboration and knowledge exchange throughout the project. Stakeholders and interested participants are encouraged to follow the project website for updates and announcements regarding the upcoming workshops.
