IT University to launch ten maritime research projects

IT University to launch ten maritime research projects

The Orient's Fond and The Danish Maritime Fund fund ten research projects that will contribute to maritime innovation in Denmark.

Written 25 March, 2026 09:55 by

The maritime sector plays a central role in the Danish economy, and in the 2025 strategy En grøn kurs for Det Blå Danmark (A Green Course for Denmark's Maritime Sector), the government's Growth Team recommends securing the future of Denmark's strong maritime tradition through five key initiatives. The first initiative sets out the following goal: "Innovation and technological development must be promoted through better access to test facilities, digital solutions, and a strengthened innovation ecosystem."

At the IT University of Copenhagen, efforts are now under way to support this goal through the launch of ten research projects that can contribute to innovation in the maritime sector. The projects will become part of the university's mHub, which is supported by the Danish Maritime Fund and aims to connect the maritime sector with the IT University's students and researchers.

The director of mHub, Associate Professor Rune Møller Jensen, is delighted that both Orient's Fond and the Danish Maritime Fund have supported the ten projects, which together cover a wide spectrum of maritime development:
"A large part of the remaining project financing is expected to come from the Danish Maritime Fund, which means that the projects will take place in close collaboration with Danish maritime companies and focus on long-term value creation. The topics vary widely, but all emphasise the IT University's broad approach to computer science, which also includes human-machine interaction, a crucial aspect of the maritime industry."

Next generation

Among the ten project descriptions is Failure in Human-AI Interaction, which aims to create a foundation for the better and safer use of artificial intelligence at sea, a requirement for the increased use of unmanned vessels. Another project, 3D Reconstructions for Underwater Scene Reconstruction, will see researchers map structures beneath the sea surface.
In addition to directly contributing to maritime innovation in Denmark, the projects also share a common feature: they all involve young researchers.

"When it became clear that Orient's Fond wanted to build maritime research at the IT University through a framework grant, the researchers involved in mHub agreed to focus on young researchers in the early stages of their careers in order to build critical mass within the field," says Rune Møller Jensen.

Maritime innovation at the IT University

Rune Møller Jensen expects that most of the projects will achieve full funding during 2026 and is looking forward to getting started. The same goes for the IT University's Head of Research, Morten Hjelholt, who is pleased that all the projects are closely aligned with practice in the maritime sector:

"I am very pleased that all the research projects will be of immediate value. I see this as part of the IT University's DNA: that we contribute to developments in society, in industry, and, in this case, at sea. In addition, maritime research is fascinating and has enormous potential," says Morten Hjelholt.

Further information

Jari Kickbusch, phone 7218 5304, email [email protected]