AI AND DUAL-USE INNOVATION: ADVANCING MARITIME SECURITY IN EUROPEAN HOTSPOTS
Caleb Price

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly playing a foundational role in European maritime security. Along with advances in drone, cybersecurity and electronic warfare technologies, AI poses opportunities and challenges for the EU in protecting its blue zones. In this new context, threats to critical infrastructure and the maritime economy arise rapidly.

Download Full – FactSheet #1

EU’S BEST PRACTICES IN ENHANCING MARITIME SECURITY
Shawn Rix

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Best practices are essential to maritime security in the European Union because they help coordinate the actions of diverse member states that may otherwise prioritise different national or organisational approaches. Through frameworks such as the European Union Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS), the EU strengthens information-sharing, operational coordination, and collective responses to challenges including illegal trafficking in the Mediterranean, piracy affecting European trade routes, cyber threats targeting ports, and risks to critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. This is particularly important in a system of shared authority, as it demonstrates how the EU can enhance cooperation while preserving national sovereignty. Furthermore, best practices encourage collaboration with international partners and support the integration of emerging technologies, thereby improving maritime situational awareness and decision-making.

Download Full – FactSheet #2

NATO BEST PRACTICES IN ENHANCING EUROPE’S MARITIME SECURITY
Shawn Rix

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Best practices matter for NATO in maritime security because they ensure member nations operate under shared standards and procedures at sea. This improves coordination in multinational operations, reduces miscommunication, and enables faster responses to threats such as piracy, terrorism, and illegal trafficking. They also strengthen cooperation with NATO partners and support the safe integration of emerging technologies like autonomous systems, advanced surveillance, and cyber capabilities. For Portugal and the Atlantic, NATO best practices are especially important in enhancing Europe’s maritime security by protecting critical Atlantic sea lanes, strengthening surveillance and defence cooperation, and reinforcing Portugal’s strategic role as a gateway between Europe, the Atlantic, and other global maritime routes. By promoting safety, interoperability, and collective defence, NATO best practices help the alliance remain resilient and effective against evolving maritime challenges.

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MARITIME SECURITY IN THE BALTIC AND NORTH SEAS: LESSONS LEARNED FOR THE ATLANTIC
Kaarle Ratia

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Portugal’s maritime security faces a structural challenge. Its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), one of the largest in Europe, cannot be effectively monitored through traditional, presence-based surveillance alone. Atlantic weather conditions and limited human reach create blind spots that are actively exploited. The Portuguese Navy has reported numerous monitoring operations of Russian ships and submarines transiting the Portuguese EEZ, where enforcement authority is limited. Drug cartels operate purposely built semi-submersibles from Latin America, transiting through Portuguese waters mostly undetected. These developments represent a growing threat to both national security and European border integrity. The Baltic and North Sea countries have developed responses to comparable challenges via public-private cooperation that converts commercial assets into dual-use extensions of surveillance, and shared data environments that multiply the reach of national systems. These models were built for the same problems: vast maritime spaces, low resources, and challenges that exploit specific weaknesses. The following selection of examples provides lessons that could translate directly to an Atlantic-based scenario, where Portugal holds a more direct stake from a maritime perspective.

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PORTUGAL E O QUADRO POLÍTICO-ESTRATÉGICO EM SEGURANÇA MARÍTIMA
Filipe Ildefonso

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Portugal é o país mais a sudoeste da Europa, contando com uma linha de costa de 2500 km, contabilizando a costa continental e a das Regiões Autónomas. A sua Zona Económica Exclusiva (ZEE) conta com, aproximadamente 1,7 milhões de km2, sendo a 3ª maior da União Europeia (UE) e a 20ª maior do mundo, tornando este território marinho cerca de 18 a 19 vezes superior à área territorial de Portugal. Tendo em conta o crescendo de insegurança no palco internacional, bem como o quadro das parcerias europeias em que se insere, urge uma sistematização dos objetivos e prioridades estabelecidos ao nível da segurança marítima.

Download Full – FactSheet #5