Artificial intelligence and maritime data

The tip of Brittany boasts a close-knit web of organisations, from both public and private sectors. Over time this has become a hot spot for artificial intelligence, especially as applied to the marine environment. One example is the research unit Lab-STICC. Attached to the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), it employs over 630 researchers across a wide range of digital specialisms. This unit is home to one of only a few clusters in France devoted to AI & Oceans, run in partnership with the Institute for Ocean Science (Ifremer). It designs autonomous security systems for vessels of the future, as well as models to forecast rare natural phenomena such as tsunamis.

Ifremer also works with the University of Southern Brittany on how fishing gear selectivity uses deep learning. Meanwhile the OceaniX chair at IMT Atlantique technological university applies artificial intelligence methods to studying ocean dynamics, as well as to weather forecasting, routing vessels and monitoring marine areas.

At ENSTA Bretagne engineering school there is a hub for Information Processing and Transmission, Algorithms and Integration, while the Brest National School of Engineering (ENIB) has the European Research Center for Virtual Reality (CERV) including AI. ISEN Yncréa Ouest is home to Microsoft’s dedicated AI school, and ISBlue is an ‘Interdisciplinary Graduate School for the blue planet’ focusing on marine science and technology – launched by the European Institute for Marine Studies (IUEM).

The French Naval Academy (École Navale) also plays a valuable part in the region’s reputation for excellence. In particular, its research laboratory studies how AI can be used to aid decision-making and to steer autonomous vessels. This all contributes to a healthy academic ecosystem which, when combined with defence firms like Thales and Naval Group, also encourages new start-ups such as eOdyn and Hytech Imaging to apply artificial intelligence.

Photo: Eodyn