Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services
Project Description
Project goal
The KIRMES project is developing an AI-supported system to improve the resilience of critical maritime infrastructure such as ports, offshore facilities, and underwater pipelines. The system is designed to enable operators and security authorities to detect complex and hybrid (cyber-physical) threats at an early stage, analyze them, and respond appropriately. KIRMES thus makes a decisive contribution to the security of strategically important facilities and the stability of global supply chains.
Objectives
KIRMES is a comprehensive security system that covers the entire process chain from data collection and fusion to analysis. Unlike purely stationary surveillance systems, KIRMES relies on a flexible and temporarily relocatable network of mobile sensor platforms. This network consists of several land-based Cells on Wheels (CoW) and a research vessel equipped with a variety of heterogeneous sensors, including radar, radio direction finding, AIS/ADS-B receivers, and systems for detecting GNSS interference.
The different data streams from the sensors and tools are merged in real time in a central data platform to generate a uniform cyber-physical situation picture. Based on this, a modular service platform is created that provides various analysis services. These services continuously examine the situation picture for anomalies and complex threat patterns using AI-based algorithms. A key aspect is the integration and targeted further development of proven software tools from Fraunhofer CML. For example, suspicious drone sightings can be correlated with conspicuous activities in the radio spectrum that would be inconspicuous when viewed in isolation.
The results of the individual modules are presented in an intuitive user interface tailored to the target audience, providing decision-makers with the clarity they need to take rapid and targeted countermeasures.
Funding
The project is funded by the Fraunhofer Future Foundation's “Transfer for Global Challenges” funding program from July 2025 to December 2026.