Second Blue Bastion call now open

Blue Bastion is a joint initiative of the Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID) and Blue Cluster. The programme supports collaborative projects that contribute to a secure and resilient North Sea.

Our new Blue Bastion call has been open since 28 August 2026. All project proposals must align with the Maritime Security Innovation Roadmap. Do you have an innovative project idea? Submit your proposal now.

The call is open to two types of projects:

• The Demonstrator Call supports consortia in validating innovative solutions in a representative maritime environment.
• The Research Call supports research projects that develop new technologies, concepts and applications for future maritime security challenges.

More information about the call, its themes, conditions and required documents can be found on the Blue Bastion Submit a project page. We also encourage you to discuss your project idea with one of our maritime security innovation managers at an early stage. Together, we can determine which funding instrument best matches your proposal.

Demonstrator projects can be submitted within four thematic domains, including underwater inspection, autonomous surveillance of critical infrastructure, and the protection of maritime assets. Research projects focus on two domains: the detection and response to underwater threats, and the development of new solutions to enhance the protection and resilience of critical maritime infrastructure.

Project proposals must be submitted no later than 1 October 2026 at 23:59 via blue-bastion@blauwecluster.be. For research projects, the pre-proposal phase will be followed by the submission of a full proposal.

The deadline for submitting a project proposal is Thursday 1 October 2026 at 23:59.