In the age of digital transformation and climate urgency, the maritime sector stands at a crossroads. Are “smart” and “green” ports two sides of the same coin – or competing paradigms? The answer, as emerging global trends suggest, lies in their complementarity.
From Smart to Sustainable
Smart ports use digital technologies, automation, and analytics to improve efficiency, safety, and logistics.
Green ports focus on environmental sustainability, reducing emissions, using renewable energy sources, and ensuring environmentally friendly operations.
Set theory question: is a green port a subset of a smart port?
Traditionally, these concepts evolved separately. Smart ports focused on optimisation, green ports on preservation.
But today’s leading maritime hubs — from Rotterdam and Singapore to Hamburg, Los Angeles, Miami, and Osaka — show that technology and ecology can reinforce each other rather than compete.
SeaCras’ CEO, Mario Špadina, held this lecture at the Croatian Port Days conference in Dubrovnik, March 27-28, 2025
The Convergence: When Data Meets Decarbonisation
The convergence of smart and green principles is redefining how ports operate.
Digitalisation enables precise energy management, predictive maintenance, and emissions tracking. Automation reduces idle times and fuel consumption. Data analytics and digital twins provide real-time insights that help optimise vessel movements, cargo handling, and infrastructure use — all while reducing the carbon footprint.
In practice, digital twins represent the next frontier, or they did 5 years ago. Now these should be benchmark already, if for nothing, then for derisking operations of port areas. These virtual replicas of port systems integrate all available data — from IoT sensors to physics-based simulations — creating a unified digital ecosystem. By mirroring real-world conditions, digital twins support decision-making, improve asset management, and align operational performance with sustainability goals.
“The modern trend is the convergence of smart and green principles, where technology enables sustainable port operations — creating efficient and environmentally responsible maritime hubs.” (Source: Critical Success Factors for Green Port Transformation Using Digital Technology, JMSE, 2024)
Navigating the Digital Seas: Cybersecurity as Sustainability
However, this digital-green synergy comes with new challenges. The more connected a port becomes, the more vulnerable it is to cyber-attacks. Ransomware, supply chain vulnerabilities, and geopolitical risks represent tangible threats, with potential economic losses exceeding hundreds of millions of dollars.
As the maritime sector accelerates its digital shift, cyber resilience becomes part of environmental responsibility. Protecting digital infrastructure means safeguarding operational continuity — and by extension, reducing the environmental costs of disruption.
Toward Ports of the Future
The port of the future will not be defined solely by its cranes or terminals, but by its data flows, carbon metrics, and resilience frameworks.
AI, automation, and sustainability will not exist in silos, but within an integrated strategy that aligns economic efficiency, security, and ecological balance.
In this sense, the question “Smart or Green?” becomes obsolete. The future belongs to ports that are both — simultaneously intelligent and sustainable.
We’ve entered a strong partnership with cross-border water protection as the main goal. More precisely, climate security of lakes and rivers across the Balkan Peninsula. This collaboration marks an important step toward safeguarding shared water resources, strengthening regional cooperation, and advancing data-driven environmental protection efforts across borders.
A quadrilateral partnership has been formalised between three key national institutions in North Macedonia — the Hydrometeorological Service (HMS), the State Inspectorate for Environment and the University “St. Kliment Ohridski” – Bitola (UKLO) — and SeaCras.
This agreement marks a big step forward in aligning scientific research, satellite and AI technologies, and institutional knowledge and operative capacity for the protection of cross-border water bodies that are key resources shared among multiple countries in the Balkan region.
And the phrase ‘sharing is caring’ takes on a whole new meaning in this case:
Both pollution and security threats are shared among countries.
Water scarcity and climate-change boosted issues make these water reservoirs vulnerable.
This partnership aims at long-term capacity building of all partners, and its key goals are:
transfer of knowledge based on open science policy
technology implementation and data sharing
high-level actionable planning of early-warning and response
and most importantly: bringing people together for a common goal – climate security of water resources
In particular, for Balkan region, there is an urgent need for implementing a Disaster Management System for the cross – border water protection — specifically, lakes in Ohrid and Prespa region.
Aleksandar Ivanov, professor at UKLO and Mario Špadina, CEO at SeaCras
Requirements for climate security of cross-border lakes:
First enabling system implementation and data integration;
Implement advanced trend and risk analysis models;
Develop a pollution source fingerprint program.
Enabling forecasting and Early Warning Actions based on the developed forecast models for specific threats which is a base for an Early Warning System.
Response and Mitigation actions – when a disaster is forecast or occurs, what actions and scenarios should be implemented.
This new partnership shows how cross-border collaboration, the combination of data-driven innovation, and public expertise can make a real difference in addressing today’s environmental challenges.
On October 13 and 14, Ljubljana set the stage for an important step forward in tackling marine pollution. Our SeaCras team joined the PREVENT Steering Committee, a key initiative focused on pollution prevention across the Adriatic–Ionian regions.
The meeting gathered leading experts, policymakers, and innovators working to develop coordinated strategies and technologies that reduce marine litter and other pollutants affecting our shared seas.
A day later, the participants showcased their ongoing work and research findings at the conference Slovenia and Europe for Clean Waters: Innovations and Solutions Against Plastic Pollution. The event highlighted practical, science-based solutions and cross-border collaboration aimed at protecting marine ecosystems.
This conference brought together Slovenian research projects and their network of partners focused on plastics, microplastics, pollution in the Adriatic and Ionian seas, as well as riverine systems’ environmental challenges.
Our company was represented by our CEO, Mario Špadina as well as our experts, Robert Šulc, Josip Karadža and Davor Blaženčić. Mario took part in a panel discussion, sharing insights from our ongoing research and connecting with peers working on similar initiatives.
Mario showcased results for the cross-border monitoring of the pilot location, the Pupnatska Luka beach on Korčula island, and the Mljet island. While results are alarming, the focus of the working group is to deliver tools for cross-border action. In particular, the assembly of:
Transnational Marine Litter Management System (JTMLMS)
Joint Marine Litter Prevention and Management Strategy (JMLPMS)
Climate Resilient Adriatic-Ionian Action Plan (CRAIAP)
Major thanks to our Slovenian friends for inviting us. This conference was a strong example of cross-border collaboration, scientific expertise, and collective commitment to addressing plastic pollution.
Also, there was strong emphasis on public and community engagement, as it is one of the core activities in pollution prevention.
Of course, we look forward to further deepening our collaboration with our partners from across the border and turning our joint efforts into tangible impact for the Adriatic and Ionian regions, and well beyond.
We came to New York City for Climate Week not just to be seen. We came to listen, question, and contribute to the global conversation on climate action. And as one of the most influential gatherings for sustainability leaders, innovators, and policymakers, Climate Week NYC offered a powerful platform to exchange ideas and push forward real solutions to environmental challenges.
This year, Climate Week NYC was held from September 21-28. The event takes place every year in partnership with the United Nations General Assembly and is run in coordination with the United Nations and the City of New York. We’re talking about the largest annual climate event of its kind, bringing together over 900 events and activities across the Big Apple!
For SeaCras, it was an opportunity to showcase how satellite-based data can redefine transparency in environmental monitoring — and make pollution visible, measurable, and actionable.
Because for us, sustainability isn’t a story you tell. It’s something you prove every single day through data, transparency, and action.
From the World Economic Forum’s events and private gatherings to major conferences like Techonomy, along with many side meetings and spontaneous exchanges, our CEO, Mario Špadina, joined conversations at the crossroads of technology, policymaking, and immediate impact.
Meanwhile, our Head of Communications, Ana Čupić, connected with United Nations Global Compact Network members at their Hub and attended the 8th Leaders on Purpose Summit, focused on leadership with more accountability — not just performative, but practical.
Our delegation during NYC Climate Week — CEO, Mario Špadina & Head of Communications, Ana Čupić
After an intense and inspiring week filled with meaningful discussions, new connections, and shared visions for a cleaner planet, our team has safely returned home — energised and ready to turn ideas into impact.
SeaCras remains committed to protecting our oceans and coastlines through science, technology, and collaboration. What we witnessed in New York reaffirmed our belief that measurable change starts with knowledge. And that knowledge should always be shared.
Also, it’s easy to forget how far we’ve come, until moments like this remind us. SeaCras started as a local idea and has grown global in just a few years.
Sharing our results and getting direct feedback on a global stage gives us what matters most: ideas, direction, and drive to push boundaries further. At least until next year, when we return to New York to show how much more we’ve grown.
The first year of the PREVENT project — Pollution Reduction and Early-warning for Vulnerable Ecosystem in Adriatic-lonian Territories, funded by the European Commission’s IPA ADRION 419, is done, which means that its partners have delivered crucial data concerning marine pollution and health in general. Since the emphasis was on plastic pollution, the results have shown alarming levels of this type of pollution across all monitored areas.
As part of PREVENT, SeaCras as the project partner co-created the cross-border monitoring system that involved 6 partners, while leveraging all of their resources at disposal for pollution monitoring. In addition to this, during the implementation of the robust and large scale monitoring system for the network of partners vast marine areas were covered.
In particular, the Croatian islands of Mljet and Korčula, the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, rivermouths in Albania, Rhodos in Greece and several other locations were monitored for a range of pollution, with the main focus on plastic pollution.
Results show alarming concentrations of plastic pollution across these sites, with hotspots threatening both marine ecosystems and coastal communities that depend on them.
For example, the Pupnatska Luka beach on Korčula island, known as one of the island’s most idyllic beaches was monitored during 2024 and 2025 up to now. Despite its reputation as a paradise, it remains burdened by plastic pollution and marine debris.
Pupnatska Luka, Korčula island
Mljet island, including the Mljet National Park, faced the same challenge. In other words, it suffered from the same fate.
Sutmiholjska Beach, Mljet island
Despite all this, solutions are on the horizon!
The collected results constitute the deliverables and the input for development of Transnational Joint Strategies and protocol that have immediate impact at reducing plastic pollution and safeguarding marine ecosystems through collaborative, cross-border action.
Next phase of PREVENT project has ambitious but obtainable goals which align with EU and global trends:
Joint Solution: Transnational Marine Litter Management System (JTMLMS)
Joint Marine Litter Prevention and Management Strategy (JMLPMS)
Climate Resilient Adriatic-Ionian Action Plan (CRAIAP)
To further stress the importance of this subject, the EU Mission: Restore Ocean and Waters and Global Plastic Action Partnerships are making a huge effort in the midst of the UN General Assembly 2025.
Project partners of PREVENT are the following organisations:
Sea Cras Ltd., Hrvatska (HR)
Polytechnic University of Bari, Italia (IT)
National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenija (SI)
National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos, Elláda (EL)
Development Agency of South Aegean Region –READ S.A., Elláda (EL)
Municipality of Vlore, Shqipëria (AL)
Adriatic Training and Research Centre for accidental marine pollution preparedness and response, Hrvatska (HR)
University of Montenegro, Crna Gora (ME)
University “St. Kliment Ohridski” Bitola, Severna Makedonija (MK)
NATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF HANDICRAFTS AND SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES TERRITORIAL ASSOC. OF LECCE, Italia (IT)
