The 1st AI4COPSEC General Assembly took place on 3 and 4 June in Brest, France, brining together the project consortium as well as some key stakeholders and technical experts to review progress, align strategies, and showcase advancements in the AI4COPSEC project. Hosted by our technical coordinator, eOdyn, the meeting underscored the project’s commitment to developing AI-driven solutions for coast guard and maritime operations, particularly in contexts such as search and rescue, oil spill detection, and illegal fishing.
The General Assembly opened with a welcome statement and a strategic objectives review by project coordinators Arnaud Gotlieb, Simula and Yann Guichoux, eOdyn, setting the tone for a results-oriented and forward-looking meeting. The project’s progress over the last six months was reviewed, emphasisng both achievements and future milestones.
A highlight of the morning was the joint presentation of technical work packages, focusing on data constraints, metric identification, and the continuous improvement of the Copernicus-based Situational Surveillance (CSS) platform and detailed presentations on data preparation and AI/ML development. These sessions highlighted the sophistication of AI models being developed and the crucial role of data fusion in enhancing maritime domain awareness.
Before lunch, our Spanish partner Guardia Civil presented its maritime security roles and needs, highlighting the use cases search and rescue, oil spills, and illegal fishing. They emphasised the need for AI tools to detect vessel anomalies, AIS spoofing, and support rapid alerts in real operations. Parallel sessions included a first Scientific Advisory Board meeting and a Exploitation Workshop led by ITML, focusing on how project outcomes can be transitioned into real-world applications.
Visit of the Abeille Bretagne Rescue Ship with CEPPOL
The afternoon of the first day was marked by a guest presentation by CEPPOL (Centre d’Expertises Pratiques de Lutte Antipollution), the French Navy’s center of excellence for oil spill response and maritime pollution control. Based in Brest and directed by Commander Gautier Dupire, CEPPOL plays a crucial national and international role in supporting operational response to marine pollution events, providing expert coordination, technical support, and training. Its engagement in the AI4COPSEC project bridges operational practice and technological innovation. CEPPOL presented their expertise in oil spill respond but also welcomed the attendees to a tour of the Abeille Bretagne, an emergency towing and rescue vessel, offering hands-on insight into maritime safety infrastructure.
Operational Use Cases and Stakeholder Engagement
Day two began with breakout sessions focused on analysing use case requirements, CSS data utilization, and visualization tools. The teams were divided by the four use cases and presented their findings after the sessions to the whole consortium.
The afternoon was devoted to high-level stakeholder engagement. It was a great opportunity to have representatives from the French Navy’s MICA Center, DGAMPA, Copernicus, TotalEnergies, and Cedre to participate in our two-day meeting. Cdt Thomas Scalabre (MICA Center), Nicolas Olivero (DGAMPA), Alexis Foussard (Copernicus), Laure Tigani (TotalEnergies), and William Giraud (Cedre), each presented their perspectives on maritime intelligence, environmental monitoring, and operational challenges including oil spill response and piracy attacks . These presentations strengthened the relationships between AI4COPSEC and key stakeholders and operational actors, highlighting the relevance and potential integration of project results into broader maritime and environmental frameworks.
