Blue Bastion - Innovation projects for maritime security

The Blue Bastion calls provide a framework for collaborative innovation aimed at protecting critical maritime infrastructure. The programme is a joint initiative of the Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID) and Blue Cluster and includes several funding instruments, including research, demonstration and operational innovation projects, each with its own approach and timeline.

All projects must align with the Maritime Security Strategic Roadmap, which defines the thematic focus areas, capability priorities and development pathways for the ecosystem. Together, the different instruments form a coherent portfolio that supports innovation from applied research through to near-operational deployment, while ensuring continuity and long-term impact across the maritime security ecosystem.

Blue Bastion offers two complementary funding instruments to support innovation for the protection of critical maritime infrastructure:

• Blue Bastion Demonstrator Call: supporting short-term demonstration projects (up to 6 months, TRL 5–6, max 350keuro funding) focused on the validation of innovative solutions in representative maritime environments.
  • Demonstrator Theme 1: Underwater Quick Scan & Rapid Incident Assessment
  • Demonstrator Theme 2: Persistent Autonomous Surveillance Around Critical Maritime Infrastructure  
  • Demonstrator Theme 3: Underwater threat verification & infrastructure assessment
  • Demonstrator Theme 4: Rapid Protection and Resilient intervention for Critical Maritime Infrastructure
• Blue Bastion Research Call: supporting collaborative research projects (up to 24 months, TRL 3–5, max 2 mil euro funding) aimed at developing and validating new technologies, concepts and capabilities for future maritime security challenges.
  • Research Theme 1: Integrated Detection, Attribution & Response for Underwater Threats 
  • Research Theme 2: Next-Generation Protection & Resilience of Critical Maritime Infrastructure.

Applicants are invited to carefully review the objectives, scope, eligibility conditions and evaluation process of the relevant call. All templates, guidance documents and submission forms can be found in the corresponding sections below.

Together, these instruments create a pathway from research and technology development to demonstration, operational validation and future deployment in maritime security and critical infrastructure protection.

The RHID & Blue Cluster Blue Bastion Demonstrator call 2026 stimulates the rapid demonstration of innovative solutions for the protection of critical maritime infrastructure, with a strong focus on collaboration within consortia.

This call supports projects with a maximum duration of six months and funding of up to EUR 350,000 per project, aimed at technological demonstrations in near-realistic maritime environments.

• The call fosters an ecosystem in which industry, knowledge institutions, and operational stakeholders collaborate on integrated solutions, with an emphasis on themes such as surveillance, autonomous systems, AI, cybersecurity, and communications.
• Projects must align with the strategic roadmap ‘Maritime Security’ of the Blue Cluster and contribute to operational relevance, risk mitigation, and preparation for entry into the European market.
• The call focuses on four priority demonstration domains: rapid underwater threat detection and incident assessment, persistent autonomous surveillance of critical maritime infrastructure, threat verification and infrastructure assessment, and rapid protection and resilience solutions for maritime assets and infrastructure.

The deadline for submitting proposals is 1 October, with project start dates on 4 January 2027 and an end date of 5 July 2027. 

The RHID & Blue Cluster Blue Bastion Research Call 2026-2 supports applied research and technology development for the protection of critical maritime infrastructure, with a strong focus on collaborative research consortia bringing together industry, knowledge institutions and operational stakeholders. 

This call supports research projects with a maximum duration of 24 months and funding of up to EUR 2,000,000 per project, targeting the development, validation and maturation of innovative concepts, technologies and prototypes in the TRL 3–5 range. 

• The call fosters an ecosystem in which industry, knowledge institutions and operational stakeholders collaborate to address strategic maritime security challenges through multidisciplinary research and innovation. 
• Projects must align with the Blue Cluster Maritime Security Roadmap and contribute to future capability development, technological maturity and protection of critical maritime infrastructure. 
• The call focuses on two priority research domains: Integrated Detection, Attribution & Response for Underwater Threats and Next-Generation Protection & Resilience of Critical Maritime Infrastructure. 
• Research projects are expected to generate new scientific knowledge, validated technologies, prototypes or system concepts, providing a clear pathway towards future demonstrator projects, operational validation and European collaboration opportunities. 
• The call contributes to the development of a strong Belgian knowledge, industrial and technology base in maritime security and critical infrastructure protection, while supporting future participation in European defence, security and maritime innovation programmes. 

The deadline for submitting the pre-proposals is 1 October 2026, for the full proposals 1 December 2026, with project start dates on 1 April 2027 and an end date of 31 March 2029

Do you have questions about the call or would you like to discuss whether your project idea fits within Blue Bastion? We are happy to support you in further developing your idea, identifying partners and selecting the most suitable funding instrument. Please contact the CIMP innovation managers (Staff | Blue Cluster)

RHID and Blue Cluster places great importance on the quality of their service and on improving the way they operate. RHID and Blue Cluster will handle complaints about the administrative handling of this call for proposals and/or about content of the call and the contracts that are concluded as a result of the call.  

See Complaints form in section documents