By Marek Grzybowski
“Safe Planet & Space: Letter from Utopia” conference organized by the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Space Research Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Baltic Sea and Space Cluster. The conference of young scientists ‘young stars’, representatives of business and scientists using space technologies in environmental research was held at the IO PAN, in Sopot, on March 23, 2023.
Realcja: Konferencja: „Safe Planet & Space: Letter from Utopia” w Sopocie
Over 20 conferences abuut the satellite and information technology used in the maritime economy
– This is the third series of conferences on the use of steelmaking techniques in science and maritime industries. We work in cycles of one and a half years and in this third cycle it is the first conference in 2023, but also the fifth one organized in this cycle 2022-2023 organized by the Space Sciences Commission of the Polish Academy of Sciences Gdańsk and the Baltic Maritime and Space Cluster. This is the 5th conference organized by the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The Institute of Oceanology conducts scientific research in the Baltic Sea and in the seas of the European Arctic.
– The meetings of this series are a continuation of the discussion started in previous years by the scientific, entrepreneurial and administration communities, identifying problems, needs and common points in areas seemingly distant from each other: sea and space – said prof. Edmund Wittbrodt, chairman of the Space Sciences Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Gdańsk). The interdisciplinary nature of these conferences has created a platform for exchanging views, presenting knowledge and discussing research results and issues related to legal regulations, management and technologies in both these areas, their mutual connections and the possibility of practical applications – emphasized prof. Wittbrodt.
The synergy of cooperation between the Space Sciences Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Gdańsk and the Baltic Sea and Space Cluster
At the conference in Sopot on March 23, 2023, the following topics were discussed: about the possibilities of using satellite techniques in activities related to the multifaceted security of the Earth in the context of climate change, environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of humanity. Interesting news also came from the Polish Space Agency.
– I am very pleased to see you again at the Institute – said prof. Jan Marcin Węsławski, Director of the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The Institute of Oceanology is extremely interested in cooperation with the entire space sector. Satellite research combined with marine research is the basic requirement for effective work at the moment. The next IPCC report on climate change shows that we have less and less time to react, and in turn that response will be largely based on information that is obtained with the help of satellite techniques – undelined prof. Węsławski.
– The Polish Space Agency is the coordinator of the consortium, which was formed from Polish entities and plays an important role in the entire construction of the system, which is being built all over the world, not only in Europe. Polish assets are related to the infrastructure located in Poznań, in a state institution: the Polish Spectroscopic Telescope of the University of Poznań. The project also involved: the 6Roads company from Krakow, the Space Research Center, the Astronomical Center and 14 entities scattered, mainly outside Poland – said prof. Marek Moszyński – vice-president and expert of the Polish Space Agency. – The Polish Space Agency also conducts consultations related to the preparation of guidelines for legislative changes. – said prof. Moszyński.
Satellite and IT systems can be cheated
Deception of satellites and IT networks. Bypassing sanctions in maritime transport after Russia’s attack on Ukraine in the global transport of strategic raw materials – presented Prof Marek Grzybowski, President of the BSSC, Gdynia on the base of the Windward’s Russia Risk Report. As you know, artificial intelligence will never win with real stupidity and cunning – joked prof. Marek Grzybowski, in the introduction to his lecture.
Satellite and IT systems can be cheated. Many countries, shipowners, shippers, trading companies, producers of oil and gas, fertilizers and cereals use war to do business. War is a way to earn money and at the moment we have a situation where shipowners from different areas and countries take advantage of it. During the presentation, areas were shown where we can track places consisting in pumping fuel from one ship to another – showed prof. Marek Grzybowski. – Shipowners cheat identification systems and change the ship’s flag, disable information systems and reload strategic raw materials in ports where there is no cargo control. Many illegal operations can be traced through satellite observations and artificial intelligence. However, artificial intelligence loses to business and cunning.
“Young Stars” panel
The “Young Stars” panel was led by prof. Sławomir Sagan – Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs of the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The presentations showed the use of statlitary technologies in sea and climate research, the use of satellite information to forecast storm and flood hazards. Marcin Jasiukowicz and Magdalena Sadowska, PG Gdańsk, SimLE Stardust informed about- stratospheric platform to reach the skies. Patryk Sapiega, IMGW Gdynia preseted the results of scientific research of satellite data as a component of multi-stream verification and calibration of the SWAN wave model.
Maximilian Minta, NEPTUN STUDIO, informed about modeling of security issues aimed in validation of artificial intelligence algorithms and the logic of unmanned and warning systems. Katarzyna Dragańska-Deja, IOPAN Sopot, presented detection of environmental changes – satellite remote sensing in the Arctic region. Application of machine learning in flooding extent mapping using SAR data – presented Monika Gierszewska , PG, Gdańsk. Jasiukowicz and Magdalena Sadowska, GUT Gdańsk, SimLE Stardust were awarded by the jury of the ‘Young Stars’ competition.
Space, IT and hydrotechnical technologies and the security of seaports
Space and the sea – practical applications of satellite and digital technologies, Panel of Experts led by dr hab. Marek Grzybowski prof. (em) Maritime Academy, vice chairman of the Space Sciences Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Gdańsk). The theme of the panel was the answer to the question: Are Polish ports at the same level of security in the organization of ship, car, train and inland transport as the Port of Hamburg? In the times of the hot war in Ukraine and the threat of disruption of logistics chains, should Poland continue to develop resistance to satellite espionage and cyberattacks, physical threats from land and sea, and the threat of drone attacks?
An excellent introduction to the discussion was the presentation of innovations introduced in Port Hamburg by Maciej Brzozowski, Hafen Hamburg Marketing e.V. Port of Hamburg office in Poland: Port of Hamburg – Security and cybersecurity in terminals, ship traffic, cars and trains (case study). The Port of Hamburg has all the features of a smart port after implementing IT solutions, new technologies for detecting and managing the movement of ships, trains, cars and inland navigation.
From the beginning of the construction of the DCT Gdańsk terminal, attention was paid to safety, said Dominik Landa, Director Strategic Business Development and Intermodal of HHLA (former commercial director of DCT GDAŃSK). In the terminal, quays and dockyards were prepared to handle the largest ocean container ships, 400 m long and 60 m wide. This took place even before the first megacontainer ship was built and sailed from the shipyard to the sea. At the moment, as SCM we are collecting experience from Ukrainian ports. Every day we have to intervene in ports in Ukraine, which are threatened by missile attacks from Russia. Ships leaving the ports of Ukraine must take into account the threat of air attacks and the threat of sea mines.
The Port of Gdynia Authority has introduced a number of innovative solutions to ensure the safety of the Port of Gdynia – said Kacper Synowiecki, Security Director, General Director Division, Port of Gdynia Authority. Port of Gdynia has e.g. anti-drone system, protected against cyberattacks, the internal entrance was frosted so that larger ships could enter the port. – When NATO ships are moored in the port, special procedures are used to ensure the safety of ships from the land and water side – said Director Synowiecki.
– Security against drones and cyber attacks is extremely important – said Maximilian Minta, CEO of NEPTUN STUDIO.
– For port operations and safe sailing, knowledge about quays and the bottom in port basins is also extremely important, said Andrzej Stateczny, prof. dr hab. Eng., President of the Management Board, Marine Technology.
– The company employs a wide group of experts in the field of navigation, hydrography, geoinformatics, geodesy and cartography, oceanography, remote sensing, photogrammetry, automation and robotics, IT, electronics and others. Marine Technology Ltd. completed one of the tasks performed under the project “Monitoring and Observation System for Port Areas Using Floating Unmanned Mobile Research Platforms” with the acronym MPSS. The area scope was Basins I-V in the Port of Gdynia, characterized by high concrete quays, which were not a major problem for the company. During the works, the following was downloaded: water at a height of 1 meter under the water surface (using a bathometer),water at a height of 1 meter above the bottom (using a bathometer), sediment from the bottom (using a scoop),plankton (using plankton net),water salinity profile (using the SVP Base X2 sound velocity profiler from AML).
There is no such IT system that cannot be broken, I say this as a former IT specialist and a long-time employee of the port authority – said Krzysztof Anzelewicz, vice-president, Baltic Sea & Space Cluster. IT security and physical security of ports, people and goods transported by sea require the support of digital techniques and satellite technologies. But the most important link that guarantees the security of the infrastructure is a man using new technologies – summed up prof. Grzybowski discussion of experts.
Space and sea -science and applications panel
Space and sea -science and applications panel was chaired by Prof Mirosława Ostrowska, vice president of the Polish Acedemy of Sciences.
Krzysztof Kanawka, Blue Dot Solutions, Gdańsk presente of the Startup accelerator Space3ac activity. Abaut international projects on planet and climate protection from the point of view of the IT industry informed Krzysztof Samp, viceprsident, iTTi, Poznań. Use of Satellite data for atmospheric monitoring – estimation of NOx emissions from large point sources in Poland – presented Bożena Łapeta, IMGW Kraków. Małgorzata Kępińska-Kasprzak, IMGW Poznań prezented information aobut the use of terrestrial and satellite data with various spatial resolutions to monitor processes related to agricultural drought from the county to the entire country. Mirosław Darecki, IOPAN, Sopot, presented the satellites as an effective tool for monitoring the Earth’s climate change.
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