Trinity College Dublin and ADAPT Centre project recognised for using AI and existing subsea telecommunications infrastructure to strengthen Ireland’s maritime awareness.
Sea-Scan, the Trinity College Dublin and Research Ireland ADAPT Centre project developing a new approach to maritime awareness and critical infrastructure protection, has been shortlisted for Best ICT Project of the Year at the 2026 Public Sector Digital Transformation Awards.
The project is one of eight shortlisted in the category, alongside major digital transformation initiatives from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Department of Social Protection, Cork City Council, Meath County Council, the Health Insurance Authority and University of Galway.
Sea-Scan uses Distributed Acoustic Sensing and AI to transform existing subsea telecommunications cables into a real-time maritime sensing system. Acoustic and vibration signatures generated by vessels can be detected through the fibre and analysed using AI, allowing activity to be detected, tracked and classified, including vessels operating without AIS transponders.
The project addresses an increasingly important national challenge. Ireland sits at Europe’s Atlantic gateway and around 75% of transatlantic internet and data cables pass through or near Irish waters. These cables underpin financial services, cloud infrastructure, public services and international connectivity.
Rather than requiring an entirely new network of offshore sensors, Sea-Scan gives telecommunications infrastructure already on the seabed an additional role. It provides a new source of real-time information for maritime awareness and has already demonstrated its capability using real-world and operational data.
Sea-Scan brings together researchers in optical communications, acoustics, engineering, signal processing, AI and machine learning with Defence Forces operational expertise. The project won the Research Ireland Defence Organisation Innovation Challenge, securing €1.2 million to advance the technology towards wider deployment.
The Public Sector Digital Transformation Awards recognise excellence and innovation in the delivery of digital transformation across Ireland’s public sector. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in the Round Room at Dublin’s Mansion House on 8 October 2026
