AXOLOTL project Kick-off Meeting Marks the Start of a Promising Collaboration

We are beyond thrilled to announce the official launch of the EU-funded AXOLOTL project, with our kick-off meeting held on September 13, 2024!  This is more than just a project it’s a 3-year mission to enhance marine conservation and maritime surveillance using the power of Deep Learning, as a cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence tool.

Mr. Zacharias Sioukouros, CEO of CMMI, opened the meeting by conveying his gratitude to the European Commission for their generous funding contribution that will allow CMMI and Cyprus to develop capacities in the fields of digital technologies and artificial intelligence which hold tremendous potential for the shipping, maritime and space ecosystems. It is not surprise that they have been strategically prioritized by Cyprus to improve its Research and Innovation (R&I) performance.

Building on this sentiment, Dr. Ioannis Kyriakides, Director of the Marine Technology Division at CMMI, highlighted the significance of the project for his division for advancing research excellence, capacity building and influencing policy.

Ms. Gotelenne Piaton (CMMI), project coordinator of AXOLOTL, echoed these aspirations, highlighting the strategic synergies embedded in AXOLOTL to bolster research, innovation, and policy-making capabilities at CMMI.

Ms. Francoise Dradin’s presentation provided invaluable guidance on fostering seamless collaboration with the European Commission, outlining key expectations for the project’s duration.

The meeting primarily focused on sessions outlining the planned work in each work package, laying a strong foundation for impactful research and innovation going forward.

What’s on the horizon? 

With the support of our partners –VLIZ – Flanders Marine Institute (Belgium) and the Obelix Group (University of South Brittany) – we will standardise in-situ and remote sensing data sets and enhance the visual identification of invasive species from Autonomous Reef Monitoring structures (ARMS) plate images and improve the monitoring of maritime traffic from satellite imagery and underwater acoustics.

Our work will generate groundbreaking insights, setting a new standard in AI-driven marine conservation and surveillance for the benefit of both society and industry.