Reimagining our relationship with the ocean through technology

World Oceans Day 2026 uses the theme Reimagine to call for new ways to see, connect with and protect the ocean. That ambition is partly technical. Effective stewardship depends on sensors and networks that can detect threats in real time, carry data across the water column, and provide the scientific foundation for policy and action. Two projects supported by the European Innovation Council illustrate complementary approaches. One focuses on building native underwater communications that could enable an Internet of Underwater Things. The other addresses an immediate surveillance blind spot by making submerged oil visible to responders and regulators.

Why the technology matters and why the claims deserve scrutiny

Both projects make plausible contributions to ocean stewardship but are at different stages and face distinct barriers. Promises of high-speed, long-range underwater optical networking address a real gap because current acoustic and RF systems are slow, energy intensive or short range. Likewise the claim that standard satellite and radar surveillance misses submerged oil is supported by independent scientific reports. But translating lab optics and prototype sensors into robust, scalable systems that can survive the harsh marine environment is difficult. Real world performance will depend on field trials, regulatory acceptance, manufacturing scale, maintenance costs and interoperability with existing maritime systems.

BlueArray: integrated blue-light optics to enable the Internet of Underwater Things

BlueArray is an EIC Pathfinder project coordinated by Danmarks Tekniske Universitet in Denmark. It aims to tackle fundamental limitations in underwater wireless communication by developing chip-scale blue optical technologies. The project began in August 2024 and runs through July 2028. The stated ambition is to enable energy-efficient, high-speed and longer-range optical links that would underpin large-scale underwater sensor networks and autonomy.

The project consortium comprises five European research organisations and one SME. BlueArray is funded under the EIC Pathfinder scheme with nearly 3.9 million euros in grant support. According to the project fact sheet the total project cost is about 3.87 million euros and the EU contribution is recorded at 3,865,702 euros. BlueArray’s technical tasks include developing blue VCSELs and optical phased arrays, along with large-scale digital-to-analogue converter arrays and coherent receiver technologies that aim to exceed current state of the art.

Despite the promising physics, the transition from laboratory components to deployed, maintainable hardware is not straightforward. Challenges include biofouling, pressure and temperature extremes, optical turbulence, alignment with mobile nodes, and the environmental effects of blue-light emissions on marine life. The BlueArray researchers acknowledge they are making foundational investments rather than delivering immediately deployable networks.

Funding and timeline for BlueArray

Ocean Visuals and OWL: making submerged oil visible in real time

Ocean Visuals is a Norwegian SME that received EIC Accelerator support to commercialise the Oil-in-Water Locator, or OWL. The OWL systems use hyperspectral laser induced fluorescence LiDAR sensors to detect, classify and quantify hydrocarbons both at the surface and beneath it. The company positions these systems as operational tools for ships, aircraft and drones that can supply real-time data to responders, regulators and industry.

Ocean Visuals reports three classes of OWL systems. Sea OWL is optimised for shipborne operation. Air OWL is intended for airborne surveillance. ELF OWL is a lightweight variant designed for drones. The company emphasises a modular hardware architecture with shared opto-mechanical and opto-electronic building blocks to simplify production and scaling. OWL MAP is the operational software that presents LiDAR and camera data in a user interface and integrates with third-party mapping platforms. Ocean Visuals also incorporates AI-driven spectral analysis to help classify oil types and estimate concentrations in parts per million.

Operational readiness and adoption considerations

Ocean Visuals is advancing a deployable surveillance product suite and has marketed case studies and client testimonials. The modular design and software integration with mapping platforms are pragmatic choices for adoption by coast guards, oil companies and environmental agencies. Nevertheless, independent validation across representative spill types and sea states will be essential. Regulators and insurers will want reproducible evidence of detection limits, false positive rates and classification accuracy before relying on OWL data for enforcement or claims.

BlueArray is an upstream research project that seeks to overcome material, integration and packaging challenges needed for chip-scale underwater optical networking. Its outcomes are more likely to influence future generations of underwater hardware than to deliver an immediate commercial product. Transition pathways could include partnerships with marine equipment manufacturers or follow-on funding focused on ruggedisation and field trials.

Comparing the two projects

Wider policy and market context

The EIC funds both early-stage breakthrough research and later-stage commercialisation. That dual role is visible here. BlueArray illustrates long lead research investment that may enable new classes of infrastructure. Ocean Visuals shows the Accelerator model where a SME moves toward market-ready products. For EU ocean policy and industry, both types of innovation matter. Governments and industry are increasingly focused on coastal resilience, pollution control and digital surveillance. Adoption of these technologies will also depend on procurement processes, standardisation of data formats, cross-border cooperation on maritime surveillance and the willingness of insurers and regulators to accept new sensor streams as evidence.

A final practical point is cost and life cycle. New sensors and networks need sustainable production, predictable maintenance and clear environmental assessments. Blue-light emissions and their ecological impact should be studied before widespread deployment. Similarly the logistics of mounting LiDAR systems on routine surveillance aircraft or drones require training, regulatory compliance and integrated decision support tools for responders.

What to watch next

For BlueArray watch for published performance metrics from field trials and any partnerships with marine technology firms that can prototype ruggedised nodes. For Ocean Visuals watch for independent validation studies, documented deployments in response operations and acceptance by national authorities. Both projects could attract follow-on funding aimed at scaling manufacturing or running cross-border trials that combine sensors with oceanographic observation networks.

World Oceans Day highlights the social and political arguments for better ocean data. Technological advances are necessary but not sufficient. Uptake requires evidence, standards and institutional pathways that translate sensing into action. The two EIC-backed projects illustrate complementary tracks toward that outcome. One builds detection that is operational now. The other invests in the communication backbone that could make ubiquitous underwater monitoring practical in the longer term.

Disclaimer This article is intended for knowledge sharing and draws on project material published by the European Innovation Council and project coordinators. It should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission or any other organisation. The technical and impact claims reported by project teams require independent verification in realistic operating conditions.