KVARCO - Smart Marine Monitoring for Sustainable Mobility in the Gulf of Bothnia Region

Maritime transport in the Gulf of Bothnia faces a dual challenge: navigating harsh winter conditions with complex sea ice dynamics and meeting urgent decarbonisation targets. While environmental and vessel data exist, they remain fragmented. Local logistics SMEs struggle to accurately calculate and report the carbon footprint of their cross-border shipments due to a lack of transparent data, while ferry operators also lack integrated tools to quantify how environmental conditions impact energy consumption.Building on the KvarkenData Project carried out by the University of Vaasa, this project moves from feasibility to operational impact. We will develop smart marine monitoring solutions using AI models based on ship-mounted webcam imagery to classify ice types (e.g., ridges vs. level ice) and detect environmental anomalies (e.g., Harmful Algal Blooms) in real-time. This "visual intelligence" (WP2) serves as the foundation for the project's core innovation.The project introduces a unique "Science-to-Business" approach (WP3). First, it develops rigorous data-driven models to investigate the relationship between vessel operational choices, environmental conditions, and energy consumption. Second, it translates these scientific models into a user-friendly "SME Emission Dashboard." This tool enables regional logistics companies in Finland and Sweden to visualize transport emissions under varying environmental conditions and access automated CO₂ reporting compatible with customer demands.By enabling data-driven emission reporting, the project supports cross-border logistics companies in both Finland and Sweden with reliable information for planning, communication, and environmental compliance. The result will be demonstrated in a pilot that helps reduce CO₂ emissions in the Vaasa–Umeå corridor, improved climate resilience for port operations, and a transferrable digital model for sustainable winter navigation on other routes in the Baltic Sea.