online event · May 12, 2026
Over more than a decade, Copernicus has transformed situational awareness at EU borders and at sea, enabling continuous monitoring that enhances maritime safety, supports life-saving operations, and helps protect people along migration routes.
At the same time, advances in AI/ML, GeoAI, high-performance computing and digital twins are opening up new ways to fuse EO with AIS, OSINT and other data streams, supporting earlier detection and better-informed operational decisions
AI4COPSEC and THEIA are part of this evolution, demonstrating how next-generation AI and EO can power more responsive, trustworthy Copernicus Security and-aligned services for border and maritime safety and forced displacement monitoring.
This workshop will present how the two projects use AI/ML, data fusion and advanced Earth Observation to save lives at sea, enhance safety monitoring, and provide critical assistance to people facing displacement challenges.
10.00 – 10.05
Opening
Deborah Caruso · Magellan Circle · Moderator
10.05 – 10.15
Invited talk
This session showcases AI-based approach to supporting maritime search and rescue operations through improved path planning and adaptive decision-making under uncertainty.
Prof. Peter Nielsen · Aalborg University · AI4COPSEC Security Advisory Board
10.15 – 10.25
Project overview
This session presents the project’s objectives, technical approach, and its role in supporting operational use cases such as search and rescue, oil spill response, illegal fishing, and irregular migration detection.
Yann Guichoux · eOdyn · AI4COPSEC Technical Coordinator
10.25 – 10.35
Invited talk
This session highlights THEIA’s EO- and AI-enabled multi-source fusion approach for strengthening situational awareness and supporting faster, more informed responses to border security and crisis events.
Tomás Egido Herraez · OHB LuxSpace · THEIA WP7 ‘Micro-satellites, Cubesats and UAS-based acquisition’ Leader
10.35 – 10.45
Project overview
This session presents the project’s objectives, technical approach, and its role in delivering timely and actionable information for crisis response and security operations.
Liza Panagiotopoulou · Geosystem Hellas · THEIA Project Coordinator
10.45 – 11.00
Q&A & Closing
Deborah Caruso · Magellan Circle · Moderator
Live audience Q&A with real-time interactive survey — participants submit and upvote questions via their own devices. Closing remarks by the moderator.
Interactive survey accessible via QR code and link — live during the session
Professor at Aalborg University
AI4COPSEC SAB Member
Peter Nielsen is a Professor at Aalborg University’s Department of Materials and Production in Denmark, specialising in autonomous decision-making for large-scale cyber-physical systems.With over 150 scientific publications, including 40 journal articles in esteemed journalsas OMEGA, the International Journal of Information Management, and the Journal of Cleaner Production, he leads the Operations Research group at the Department of Materials and Production and serves on multiple editorial boards.
Since 2016, he has managed over 10 major AI research projects with European and Asian partners.
In 2019, he joined the European Commission as an independent expert and since 2021, he has been a National Expert for Civil security for society.He is also a Security Advisory Board Member within the AI4COPSEC project.
eOdyn CEO
AI4COPSEC Technical Coordinator
Yann Guichoux is the Founder and President of eOdyn, a Brest-based company specialised in ocean surface current observation, maritime data services, and operational ocean monitoring.With a background in Engineering Physics and Remote Sensing, he has dedicated his career to developing scientific software and systems for maritime analysis, forecasting, surveillance, and efficiency improvements in shipping.
He has held key leadership roles in maritime innovation and collaborations with regional maritime stakeholders, focusing on real-time ocean data applications for search and rescue, oil spill response, and environmental networks. Within the AI4COPSEC project he serves as Technical coordinator.
Project Manager at LuxSpace
Tomás Egido is a Project Manager at LuxSpace, where he leads LuxSpace contribution into THEIA project, particularly in analysing the capabilities of microsatellites and RF missions for potential platform integration, as well as on maritime domain related developments within THEIA.
He has also contributed to different EU projects (EUROSTAT, EUSPA, EC), most notably coordinating the technical assistance and quality control of EUROSTAT LUCAS 2022 project, contributing as well as quality controller in the 2018 and 2015 campaigns.
In these roles, he supported the harmonisation and quality assurance of land-use/land-cover and environmental collected field survey data across the 27 EU Member States.Building on his experience in environmental sciences and remote sensing, he previously participated in numerous environmental restoration projects, impact assessments, and environmental education initiatives in Spain.
SR R&D Project Manager at Geosystems Hellas S.A.
THEIA Project Coordinator
Liza Panagiotopoulou holds an MSc in Surveying Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and an MSc in Regional Development and Finance.During her doctoral studies at NTUA, School of Surveying Engineering, she participated in teaching while conducting research in Earth Observation and GIS. She has over 30 years of experience in R&D in Earth Observation and GNSS applications and more than 25 years in project management, including roles at public and private entities, coordinating EU- and ESA- funded projects and participating in international working groups (EEA, OECD, EUROSTAT).
She coordinates the THEIA project, enhancing Copernicus Security Services with GeoAI platforms for autonomous crisis response, data fusion, and resilience-building in high-risk scenarios.
© 2026 AI4COPSEC
