• SMAUG combines artificial intelligence, advanced sensor technology, underwater robotics and autonomous vehicles to detect threats hidden beneath the sea’s surface
• The trials, organised by the Fundación Valenciaport in collaboration with the Valencia Port Authority, recreated real-life maritime and underwater surveillance scenarios
• The project, which brings together 20 international partners, has a budget of 6 million euros from the European Horizon Europe programme

Valencia, 19 June 2026. – This week, the Port of Valencia hosted the official demonstration of the European project SMAUG – Smart Maritime and Underwater Guardian, an initiative aimed at improving port security through the early detection of underwater threats in ports and their access channels.

Following months of technological development, the Fundación Valenciaport, in collaboration with the Valencia Port Authority, has organised real-world validation tests of the systems developed as part of the SMAUG project.

During the demonstration, which involved the Customs Department of the State Tax Administration Agency, critical scenarios were recreated to test the effectiveness of solutions integrating artificial intelligence, advanced sensor technology (sonars and hydrophones), underwater robotics and autonomous USVs (unmanned surface vehicles); UUVs (unmanned submersible vehicles) and UAVs (autonomous and tethered drones). The aim of this deployment is to strengthen surveillance and response to threats concealed beneath the sea’s surface or attached to ship hulls, such as explosives or illicit goods that compromise the safety of port operations.

The first scenario took place at the mouth of the River Turia, one mile off the coast, with the participation of a patrol vessel from the Tax Agency. This exercise simulated the detection of a semi-submersible vessel, a type of craft currently used in illicit activities such as drug trafficking. Hydrophones were used for this purpose, and the acoustic detection was cross-referenced with information from the AIS system (Automatic Identification System). This was followed by a simulation of the pursuit of a suspicious vessel using a tethered drone, capable of providing prolonged and uninterrupted aerial surveillance with an AI-assisted tracking camera.

The second scenario took place in the port of Valencia itself, where fixed hydrophone systems were tested to detect suspicious vessels at the entrance to the port area. Following the initial alert, sonar scans were carried out on a vessel’s hull to check for the possible presence of attached objects.

The information generated by all these systems was centralised at the command and control centre designed as part of the SMAUG project. This platform enables data integration, alert management and information processing using artificial intelligence, providing a unified view of threats and improving the response capacity of the teams responsible for port security.

The test results have confirmed the usefulness of these technologies for strengthening surveillance in port environments and covering a particularly complex area: the underwater environment. Thanks to the combination of sensors, autonomous vehicles and intelligent data analysis, SMAUG enables the detection of threats that conventional security systems cannot identify with the same effectiveness.

The technology developed within the project combines hydrophone arrays for acoustic monitoring, high-resolution sonar for low-visibility areas, rapid scanning and the coordinated operation of autonomous robots. This entire data ecosystem is processed using artificial intelligence to anticipate risks and help protect port infrastructure, vessels and maritime operations.

About SMAUG

The SMAUG project has a total budget of around 6 million euros, co-funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe programme.

In addition to the Fundación Valenciaport, the consortium comprises 20 European partners: INDRA Sistemas, the project coordinator; INDRA Factoría Tecnológica; INDRA Sistemas de Seguridad; the Polytechnic University of Madrid; Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento; FAV Innovation and Technologies; ELISTAIR; MTU Australo Alpha Lab; Lemvos GmbH; SMARTEX SRL; Unsinkable Robotics OÜ; Information Technology for Market Leadership; Gendarmerie Maritime – Section de Recherche; Maritime Robotics AS; University of Piraeus Research Centre; University of South-Eastern Norway; Elefsina Port Authority S.A.; Heraklion Port Authority; Centre for Interaction Technologies Foundation; and the Norwegian Coastal Administration.