Cyber-Secure Digital Fairway Services in Focus for Maritime Project in the Baltic Sea Area
The Baltic Sea is a significant and environmentally sensitive sea. It faces many challenges such as increasing maritime traffic, transportation of hazardous cargoes, and cyber threats. To address these challenges, a new project called MaDaMe (Maritime Data Methods for Safe Shipping) has been launched with the support of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2021-2027.
“MaDaMe will support the development of a digital fairway information-sharing infrastructure, contributing to the safety of navigation in fairways.”, says Ahmed Elhadi, Project Leader at Novia UAS
It is a transnational cooperation project that involves 17 partners from 8 countries around the Baltic Sea. The MaDaMe project aims to develop, pilot, and evaluate new digital information-sharing and messaging services for fairway navigation. These new digital fairway services promote reliable information exchange. They are developed based on the IHO S-100 framework for digital services and products.
1. Digital Navigational Warnings – S124
2. Digital Aids to Navigation (AtoN) – S-125
3. Digital VTS (Vessel Traffic Services) – S-212
The project utilizes the MCP (Maritime Connectivity Platform) and SECOM to contribute to the cyber-security of the solutions. MaDaMe also utilizes, develops, and tests communication technologies for serving the targeted digital services, and establishing a connection between shore stations and vessels, enabling the data to be transferred during the pilotage stage of the project.
Novia’s simulation bridge equipment is essential in the project
Novia University of Applied Sciences plays a key role in the development, testing, and evaluation of the new digital services. Novia provides the consortium with ship simulation bridge equipment, and an S-100 compatible ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) test environment, which are essential for the pilotage of the developed digital services.
Novia also supports the pilotage phase by collecting user experience information and evaluating the usability of the developed and tested solutions. Moreover, Novia leads the dissemination stage of the project and ensures that the activities raise awareness on the possibilities that digital fairway solutions provide.
For more information about the project, visit the project website page on Interreg Baltic Sea Region and on Novia University of Applied Sciences website.
Partners in the project are:
- Turku University of Applied Sciences (FI), Lead partner
- Novia University of Applied Sciences (FI)
- Digital Maritime Consultancy (DK)
- National Institute of Telecommunications (PL)
- Sternula A/S (DK)
- NavSim Poland Ltd. (PL)
- Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FI)
- DFDS A/S (DK)
- Swedish Maritime Administration (SE)
- Danish Maritime Authority (DK)
- Fintraffic VTS (FI)
Associate Partners:
- Maritime office in Gdynia (PL)
- Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom (FI)
- The International association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Association (IALA)
- Estonian Transport Administration (EE)
- ESL Shipping (FI)
- Comtech AB/Navelink (SE)
