Project Coordinators: Katerina Margariti
katerina.margariti@accelligence.tech

Dissemination Manager: Vicky Avgikou
avgikou@qplan-intl.gr

05/05/2026  

 

ORBIS moves from concept to implementation in maritime monitoring innovation

 

The ORBIS consortium is advancing the development of its innovative solution for maritime border surveillance and monitoring, marking a transition from initial planning to active implementation of its core technologies.

Maritime border surveillance and monitoring remain complex and demanding tasks in Mediterranean countries, where authorities must oversee vast sea areas and respond to dynamic and often time-critical situations.

Despite relying on multiple data sources, current systems still face important limitations, particularly in interoperability, real-time data fusion, advanced analytics, and timely operational response. This is especially critical in scenarios such as Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, where early detection and rapid response can be decisive.

In this context, ORBIS aims to deliver an innovative approach by combining satellite technologies, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and artificial intelligence into a unified operational platform, while also exploring advanced UAV capabilities such as the deployment of life-saving flotation equipment. In this way ORBIS enables more efficient detection of vessels and activities at sea, enhances situational awareness, supports informed decision-making and acts as a force multiplier for maritime authorities.

The project has now entered a phase of intensive technical development and cross-partner collaboration. Recent consortium and technical meetings have confirmed steady progress in several key areas:

• Definition of the ORBIS system architecture

• Ongoing development and testing of the UAV platform

• Advacnes in data fusion and AI methods for analysing and integrating heterogeneous data sources

The consortium is currently preparing the project’s first validation activities. A small-scale validation scenario is under design to demonstrate the combined use of satellite and UAV technologies for vessel detection and monitoring, an important step towards the full-scale demonstration planned later in the project.

ORBIS is also actively engaging with the wider research and innovation community. The project was presented at the ODYSSEUS final event (27 November 2025), and is building synergies with related initiatives, including COLOSSUS, SEAGUARD and CROSSMARE to promote  knowledge exchange and collaboration with related European initiatives.

Public visibility is also increasing. As part of the project’s outreach activities, Diego Gonzalez-Aguilera from ITOS3D, one of the ORBIS consortium partners, presented the project in a television interview in Spain, highlighting its objectives and potential impact.

Further strengthening its outreach and visibility, the ORBIS project was recently showcased at the Automation & Robotics Expo by the project coordinator, ACCELIGENCE. The ORBIS UAV system attracted strong interest from industry professionals and stakeholders, highlighting its relevance for maritime security applications. A notable moment of the event was the visit of the Greek Minister of Labour and Social Security, who engaged with the system and its capabilities, underlining its potential operational value.

Looking ahead, the consortium will convene for its 2nd Project Meeting on 19 May 2026 in Nicosia, Cyprus, where partners will review progress and define the next steps towards system integration and validation.

With strong collaboration across partners and clear progress towards implementation, ORBIS is steadily advancing towards delivering an integrated and innovative solution for maritime monitoring.

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