Geospatial cloud specialist north.io has been awarded a €2.4 million grant for the "Argus" project for underwater big data analytics in the context of critical underwater infrastructure, marking the highest single funding the Kiel-based company has ever received.
The grant is provided by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), as part of the mFUND innovation initiative, contributing to the total project cost of €3.5 million.
In light of recent incidents such as the attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which have highlighted the vulnerability offshore infrastructure, the Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, Dr. Volker Wissing, emphasized the urgency and relevance of the Argus project:
“Protecting critical submarine infrastructure is of crucial importance. Submarine cables and pipelines play an essential role for communication, energy supply and the exchange of digital services. Their security ensures not only uninterrupted essential services, it also protects against potential security threats and economic losses that could result from damage or sabotage. The "Argus" project can make a major contribution to enhancing security. It can detect possible attacks in time by comparing the collected data with the situation under water at the time.”
Started on June 1 and running for two years, Argus aims to revolutionize the protection of critical underwater infrastructure through the use of advanced big data and AI technologies. The project is led by north.io in collaboration with key partners including the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Subsea Europe Services GmbH.
The project is further strengthened by the involvement of other stakeholders, including the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), the Federal Police and the German Navy, who will contribute their expertise in maritime operations, law enforcement and hydrographic data to ensure the project's success.
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