MMinE-SwEEPER presented project progress during a two-day review meeting in Kiel, including discussions with external reviewers and demonstrations of truly automated underwater munitions detection technologies with ship-based multibeam detection and AUV-based classification.
On 8-9 July, MMinE-SwEEPER representatives met in Kiel, Germany, for the first project review meeting. Project partners presented the progress achieved during the first 18 months of the project to two external reviewers and the EU project officer of DG HOME.
The first day focused on presentations and discussions covering the progress of all 14 work packages. Partners highlighted achievements with respect to the five project objectives covering a large range of activities, including technological developments in robotics, artificial intelligence, underwater imaging, and data processing, as well as field validation, knowledge transfer, and capacity-building activities.
On the second day, the reviewers joined a research cruise aboard the research vessel Littorina to the munition dump site Kolberger Heide in Kiel Bay. During the cruise, project partners demonstrated autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), as well as newly developed sensor technologies for the detection and monitoring explosive chemicals as TNT. The demonstrations provided first-hand insight into the technologies developed within MMinE-SwEEPER and their application in real-world marine environments.
The review meeting provided an opportunity to present achievements, discuss progress, and address questions from the external reviewers. Beyond the formal review, the meeting also enabled partners to exchange experiences and align priorities for the next phase of work. The consortium will continue these discussions during the upcoming project meeting in Monaco 15 -17 September and looks forward to receiving the reviewers' formal assessment and recommendations.
