Tepak joins €2.8 million maritime research project

MDigi-I Project receives €2.8 million from Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) to drive digitalisation in shipping industry

The Cyprus University of Technology (Tepak) has announced its participation in the Maritime Digital Transformation Research Infrastructure (MDigi-I) project, which has now received funding.

According to a Tepak statement, the project, which was recently financed by the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) with €2.8 million, as part of the Strategic Research Infrastructures call, aims to create national research infrastructure for Cyprus and advance research and innovation for the digitalisation of the maritime sector.

Commencing in January 2024, MDigi-I is a three-year project focused on establishing a strategic research infrastructure to promote collaborations and facilitate the development and adoption of digitalisation technologies in shipping.

The project consortium, led by Ioannis Kyriakidis, Director of Research for Maritime Technology at the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI), comprises 11 partners, including Tepak.

“The overarching goal of the project is to create a new research infrastructure that will foster collaborations and provide the means for the development and adoption of digitalisation technologies in shipping, enhancing safety, protection, and efficiency for the economic and environmental sustainability of Maritime – Marine Transport activities, a key priority outlined in the Smart Specialisation Strategy for Cyprus (S3Cy),” stated the announcement.

The proposed research infrastructure aims to evolve into a Centre of Excellence in the development, testing, validation, demonstration, and training of digitalisation technologies for shipping.

“This will serve as the nucleus for interdisciplinary research, innovation, and practical application activities for maritime and marine transportation,” the statement noted.

Additionally, it will provide access to necessary physical spaces, equipment, services, human resources, and its network to enable individuals and entities to conduct research and promote innovation in both hardware (IoT) and software (signal processing, AI/ML) with applications for smart and connected ships and port facilities, digital twins, decision support systems, and digital platforms.

This, according to the announcement, “will support joint development and exchange of information and facilitate cooperation between people, organisations, and cyber-physical systems.”

The infrastructure assets, with a total cost of €1.3 million, will be organised into accessible experimental fields and laboratories, across a number of locations.

These include the Ayia Napa Marina, Limassol Port, the CMMI Maritime IoT Laboratory, and the floating laboratories of Columbia Shipmanagement.