Fraunhofer IFAM Establishes Validation Chain for Autonomous Systems in Offshore Wind
workflows, ease the workload of skilled personnel, and make offshore wind farm operations safer and more efficient. However, their widespread deployment depends on suitable facilities for testing and validation under realistic conditions.Suitable infrastructure for comprehensively testing these technologies under realistic operating conditions is currently lacking. FOKUS-Wind addresses this gap by establishing a large-scale, multi-stage research infrastructure that will enable autonomous systems to be systematically evaluated and qualified for use in typical wind farm scenarios.End-to-end validation
Lander Lab Salutes Ocean Lander Suppliers
, Picolander-XL, Nanolander, Nanolander-13, and the Omega Lander. Landers are depth rated for 1-km to 12km, depending on spheres, and have payload capacity to suit multiple mission requirements. (Photo courtesy of Global Ocean Design).“Lander Lab” is a hands-on column of Ocean Lander technologies and strategies, a unique class of unmanned undersea vehicles, and the people who make them. It is meant to serve the global ocean lander community in the manner of Make Magazine and other DIY communities.Comments on this article, or suggestions for other stories of interest are welcome. Ocean
CACI Hooks $145M US Navy Deal for Advanced Maritime Systems
National security technology company CACI International has secured a four-year task order worth up to $145 million to develop and integrate advanced maritime technologies for the U.S. Navy, including autonomous systems, maritime sensors and next-generation naval platforms.The contract, awarded to support the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD), will focus on developing technologies aimed at improving fleet readiness and operational flexibility.Under the agreement, CACI will conduct research, engineering, testing and rapid prototyping across multiple maritime platforms.The work
Analox Launches Updated Hypergas Mk3 at IMCA Global Summit
safe diving operations. The unit must deliver accurate readings under extreme pressure and atmospheric conditions, including environments with high concentrations of helium. These conditions place demanding requirements on gas sensing technology.Hypergas Mk3 combines new sensing and detection technologies with updated mechanical, electronic and software architectures. The upgraded unit is easier to maintain than previous models, with the design shaped by customer feedback.One of the key developments is the move from six-monthly servicing by Analox towards an annual servicing schedule that customers
Atlantic Canada: An East Coast Hub for Ocean Innovation
for Cybersecurity, as well as the Marine Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence. The province is also home to Base Gagetown, one of the largest military bases in the nation. The MoU calls for collaborative research and innovation in AI, underwater acoustics and stealth solutions, Arctic-capable technologies, and intelligent and automated solutions for reduced crew.The inaugural Canadian Autonomy Trials Series–Maritime (CATS-M) were held this spring at The Launch, an ocean innovation hub run by the Marine Institute at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN). With a focus on underwater domain
OPT, Stratum Join Forces on Renewable-Powered Offshore Data Centers
Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) and Stratum Holdings have signed a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) to explore the development of offshore data center assets powered by wave, wind and solar energy, combining renewable power platforms with high-performance computing infrastructure.The proposed collaboration would integrate OPT's PowerBuoy technology with Stratum's GPU infrastructure, including its latest-generation NVIDIA B300 GPUs, to test the feasibility of running edge AI inference and related computing workloads offshore without a power connection to shore.Under the LOI, the companies
Follow the Money
and develops USV C2 technology); Austal USA (builds Saildrone's Voyager USV); and Fincantieri Marine Group (will build Saildrone's Spectre USV). Boeing, a broader defense prime, builds the Orca XLUUV in California, with HII assisting hull assembly in Virginia.Partnering with HII and Raytheon Technologies, major commercial shipbuilder Bollinger has supplied nine 12-meter semi-autonomous aluminum MCM USVs to the U.S. Navy and has a further 18 MCM USVs under contract, out of a total planned final inventory of 48 MCM USVs.Several commercial shipyards have partnered with the growing number of venture-backed
Come In, the Water’s Just Fine: How the UK Maritime Innovation Hub Embraces Innovation, Not Just Regulation
intelligence (AI). "In terms of decarbonization, there are a lot of shore-based projects that are coming through for the electrification of ports and vessels, but also looking at alternative fuels—how those will be used and how they can be more efficient—and energy efficiency technologies like carbon capture or wind assist. Those are at a volume that we didn't expect," Slater said. A surprising new angle is the rapid increase in discussions around nuclear power."We've had more inquiries around AI in the last few months than we expected. That's why the UKMIH'
Saltenna Demonstrates Cable-Free Radio Links for Subsea Communication in Recent Paper
and performance under different environmental conditions.The study does not establish that surface-plasmon RF communications can replace existing underwater systems. Instead, it identifies a promising propagation mechanism that merits further investigation and comparison with alternative wireless technologies. The authors also propose additional experiments to improve understanding of the observed phenomena and clarify the mechanisms behind the extended propagation distances.The paper was presented at IEEE UComms 2026 in Sestri Levante, Italy, and added to IEEE Xplore on Oct. 15. It also lays out follow-on
August 2026
