SeaCras at Global Innovation Summit 2026: Advancing AI Satellite Fuel Spill Detection Through Eureka Network
Global Innovation Summit 2026 — From European-funded R&D project to Real-World Marine Intelligence Product used globally
Basel brought together an international innovation community for the Global Innovation Summit 2026, organised within Eureka Network, the world’s largest network for collaborative innovation.
SeaCras’ CEO Mario Špadina, PhD, joined the Croatian delegation, supported by HAMAG-BICRO – Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovations and Investments, which helps companies turn research, technology and business potential into market-ready growth.
For SeaCras, the event was also closely connected to a wider Eureka success story. Eureka Network currently features a project led by SeaCras as one of Croatia’s flagship examples of how international R&D cooperation can help move advanced technology from research into operational use.
The product’s development was funded through the Eurostars project Sar2dem, where SeaCras developed a next-generation, two-way detection system for fuel spills and leakages. By combining optical and SAR satellite data, the system leverages a wide range of sources, from medium-resolution Sentinel constellations to high-spatial-resolution commercial imagery.
This matters because marine pollution detection is becoming more than an environmental issue. For ports, maritime authorities, cruise destinations, coastal communities and blue economy stakeholders, it is also an operational, reputational and compliance challenge.
SeaCras’ work shows how satellite data, AI-powered analysis and marine science can be turned into practical coastal intelligence — helping stakeholders detect pollution earlier, understand what is happening at sea and respond with greater confidence.
We also acknowledge the role of and thank HAMAG-BICRO in supporting the successful management and completion of the project.
This year’s Global Innovation Summit focused on biotech and enabling technologies around it, including digitalisation, translational R&D, chemistry, manufacturing, control and quality processes. For companies working at the intersection of science, technology and real-world environmental challenges, gatherings like this matter because innovation rarely moves forward in isolation. It advances through international cooperation, shared expertise and the right networks around the table.
Recognition of SeaCras by Eureka Network
That same logic is reflected in SeaCras’ recent recognition by Eureka Network, which featured the company as a Croatian example of how collaborative R&D can turn advanced marine technology into operational coastal intelligence. The recognition highlights SeaCras’ Eurostars-supported work in detecting and tracking ocean fuel spills – a capability increasingly important for ports, maritime authorities, coastal destinations and industries that depend on cleaner, safer and more resilient waters.
For organisations operating across the blue economy, fuel spill detection is no longer only an environmental topic. It is also an operational, reputational and compliance challenge. Small leaks, thin surface films and sudden pollution events can be difficult to identify quickly, especially in complex coastal waters where traditional monitoring may struggle with resolution, coverage and response speed.
SeaCras addresses this gap by combining satellite imagery, AI-powered analysis and marine science expertise. Instead of treating Earth observation data as a distant technical layer, the company turns it into actionable coastal intelligence that helps stakeholders understand what is happening at sea and decide what to do next.
From European R&D Support to Operational Marine Pollution Monitoring
Through the Sar2dem project, funded by Eureka Network, SeaCras strengthened its ability to detect oil and fuel pollution in territorial and coastal waters using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data, supported by additional commercial satellite sources where higher spatial or temporal resolution is needed. This makes the approach relevant for ports, marinas, bays, shipping routes and nearshore areas where early warning can limit environmental and economic damage.
“Eurostars helped us not only by providing much-needed funding in the product development phase, but SeaCras also benefited from the network visibility and proof of excellence. Furthermore, SeaCras utilised the Horizon IP Scan service, which was included as the part of the package of services for grant awardees.”
Mario Špadina, founder and CEO at SeaCras
This support helped SeaCras strengthen not only the technology itself, but also the strategic foundation around it, from visibility and credibility to intellectual-property readiness. For partners and clients, that matters. It signals that SeaCras’ solutions are rooted in validated R&D, shaped by international collaboration and developed with a clear path toward practical deployment.
Today, SeaCras’ Coastal Intelligence helps stakeholders improve marine pollution monitoring, support response planning and build stronger evidence for sustainable marine management. For ports, cruise destinations, maritime transport operators, public authorities and coastal communities, the value is clear: earlier detection, better insight and more confidence when decisions must be made quickly.
Read the Eureka Network feature on SeaCras and explore SeaCras’ pollution detection and oceanography solutions for territorial waters to see how satellite-powered monitoring can support cleaner, safer and more resilient coastal operations.