Accelerator Targets Subsea AI Development

Subsea software-as-a-service provider Elementz Digital has announced a new accelerator program for subsea AI development.

The program is backed by Elementz Digital’s strategic advisory board which was formed in May this year and includes representatives from energy operators including Aker BP and Shell.

Designed to transform how artificial intelligence is developed, validated, and adopted across the subsea energy sector, the accelerator will enable AI startups to tackle real operational challenges.

The initiative is supported by ONE Digital Tech and The Data Lab, Scotland’s Innovation Centre for Data and AI.

A formal launch of the program will take place in October 2025, with applications opening at that time. Selected startups will enter the programme by the end of the year and work through development and testing phases until mid-2026, followed by evaluation and commercial integration.

Aker BP is already using AI to shape the future of its subsea infrastructure integrity management under its “Subsea Transformation Program” blueprint. The company plans to more than double its subsea infrastructure by 2027 and is moving toward a new operational paradigm.

“Our vision is to deliver world-class operational performance with high production efficiency, low environmental discharges, and low costs,” says Camilla Leon, VP Subsea, Aker BP and Elementz Board Member. “We believe we can achieve this by liberating and sharing data, applying automation and advanced analytics, and building a common situational awareness across our ecosystem of partners and internal stakeholders.”

Central to Aker BP’s transformation is the Yggdrasil development which is set to come online in early 2027. Once operational, it will mark a significant milestone, as the majority of Aker BP’s production will stem from subsea assets.

Aker BP sees a more collaborative, cross-functional role for its workforce, particularly subsea engineers. Through a “Blue Digital Ecosystem,” engineers will become key enablers of cross industry innovation, facilitating knowledge sharing across Aker companies and into adjacent sectors like offshore wind, aquaculture, and marine conservation.

The Blue Digital Ecosystem integrates cloud-based platforms and applications, AI-driven solutions and analytics, next generation sensors and robotics, digital twins, simulation models and visualisation for operational efficiencies, and trusted, standard security protocols for secure data sharing.

By investing in a robust data foundation, the company is preparing to scale up simulations, predictive analytics, and real-time performance management in the years ahead.

Elementz says that technology, platform and SaaS companies will play a critical role in bridging the gap between operators’ data and AI-driven insights by providing the digital infrastructure to standardise and integrate operators’ data, making it AI-ready.  

They will develop AI-powered solutions that can be trained on collective datasets, improving predictive maintenance, asset integrity, and operational efficiency. Allowing modular AI plug-ins from third parties that integrate seamlessly into existing workflows will ensure ease of adoption, whilst facilitating secure data-sharing ecosystems will guarantee compliance and trust across stakeholders.

By acting as neutral enablers, technology and software providers can help transform disconnected data into actionable intelligence, affirming that AI models deliver real, trusted operational value when trained on real data, not just theoretical insights.