Starting in September 2025, the Estonian State Fleet will launch a joint development project with Finnish partners to enhance preparedness for dealing with marine pollution. The DIGIMARIS project aims to develop small unmanned surface vessels (USVs) that are suited to the conditions of the Gulf of Finland and equipped with pollution detection sensors.
According to Hannes Ojangu, Director of the Development Service of the State Fleet, these vessels will eventually be able to operate autonomously or support larger pollution response operations, improving monitoring capabilities and response speed.
“This is a significant step in cross-border environmental cooperation between Estonia and Finland and a contribution to strengthening pollution response capabilities across the Baltic Sea region.”
Hannes Ojangu, Director of the Development Service of the State Fleet
“In the project’s first phase, existing pollution detection technologies will be mapped, and the most suitable solutions selected for the project. New equipment will be tested in a trial basin in Finland and then in Estonian waters to verify their performance in real conditions,” explained Ojangu.
“The project will also create a unified service concept and data processing platform that enables real-time monitoring and effective cooperation between different parties,” he added.
30-month cross-border initiative to boost Baltic Sea pollution response
The project will last for 30 months and conclude in spring 2028. On the Estonian side, the State Fleet and TalTech Estonian Maritime Academy will participate in the development. Additionally, the Estonian Navy and the Estonian Rescue Services Agency´s experts will guide pollution control.
The project is funded by the Interreg Central Baltic Programme. The total cost is €2,923,429, of which the partners’ own contributions cover one-fifth.
“This is a significant step in cross-border environmental cooperation between Estonia and Finland and a contribution to strengthening pollution response capabilities across the Baltic Sea region. At the end of the project, guidelines and technical documentation will be produced to enable the developed solutions to be used elsewhere,” added Ojangu.
Project partners include the Estonian State Fleet, Kotka Maritime Research Centre, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk), Kymenlaakso Rescue Services, and TalTech Estonian Maritime Academy.
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