The new unmanned surface vehicle or ‘maritime drone’ acquired by the Regional Government for ARDITI – Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation, under the funds made available by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), in the area of the sea and climate change, was presented today at the São Lázaro Nautical Center, in Funchal.
The new equipment, one of the few in the world, will allow the development of studies and monitoring of the sea throughout the Madeira Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as highlighted by the President of the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, and Rui Caldeira, President of ARDITI.
The investment of around 3.4 million euros allows Madeira to be at the forefront of technology in this area, as noted by the researcher responsible for the Agency, who stressed that this equipment is just one piece of a larger set that will allow the Region to reposition itself with regard to marine research.
Among other features, this ‘maritime drone’ will allow the collection of bathymetric data up to 2,000 meters, communication with underwater vehicles, and the collection of data on water quality (temperature, salinity, conductivity) up to a thousand meters.
This equipment has autonomy for seven to 10 days, without the need for refueling during that period, but Rui Caldeira highlights the lower operating costs it represents, when compared to non-autonomous ships. “We can take all this technology to Selvagens. The ship is parked and used as a command and control platform and, then, these vehicles, at more controlled costs, can carry out the missions and collect information”, he exemplifies, highlighting that this is “a more current way of thinking” in the management of resources and means.
For Miguel Albuquerque, this is the best bet, making the Region a technological and scientific hub of national and international reference, particularly in the maritime sector, as has been the prerogative of its Executive, through the investments made in this area.
“It is important to understand that our Atlantic outermost dimension is decisive in making decisions, especially from a scientific point of view, that place us at the forefront of the scientific study of the oceans”, said the President of the Regional Government.
In addition, “from a geopolitical point of view, the French Outermost Regions, the Canary Islands and the autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores give the European Union a projection, if Europe wants to assert itself as a power, of physical presence in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, South America and the Indian Ocean”, he said, recalling that these are regions that hold 90% of Europe’s biodiversity and guarantee a continental platform “that gives the European Union a unique wealth”.
Albuquerque also highlighted the return that technology companies already represent for the Madeiran economy, which in 2022 is around 612 million euros, predicting that these numbers will increase in 2023 and 2024, judging by the “positive evolution” recorded at present.