EMC4Ports is a project aimed at creating an advanced, low-environmental-impact technological ecosystem for monitoring water and air quality in port areas. The objective is to promptly identify critical situations, generate alerts, and provide support in emergency management and environmental damage mitigation, contributing to improved operational efficiency, safety, and sustainability in ports.
The developed system has as its main component a mobile data acquisition infrastructure consisting of a modular electric vessel, called EcoCleaningBoat (ECB), which patrols port areas and integrates intelligent, interconnected sensors in line with the IoT paradigm. The collected data are transmitted and analyzed through a digital ecosystem that uses predictive models and artificial intelligence algorithms, delivering results via a dashboard that allows users to set alarm thresholds and constantly monitor the health status of the port environment in terms of air and water quality.
The solution was tested and demonstrated at the Port of Reggio Calabria between May and July 2025, with the support of the competent port authorities. The project, initially developed with a focus on commercial ports, was subsequently extended with the EMC4TPorts initiative with the objective of adapting and validating the ecosystem in different contexts, such as tourist ports. Thanks to collaboration with the Regional Marine Parks Authority of Calabria, the technology was implemented at selected sites to meet specific conditions and requirements, demonstrating the replicability and flexibility of the developed solution.
Results:
The project has enabled the development of a complete and functional prototype of a technological ecosystem, suitable for different scenarios, capable of integrating real-time data, processing them through dedicated models, and delivering operational and summary information,
as well as offering the ability to set customized alerts designed to facilitate optimized management of relevant areas and prevent critical pollution situations. This confirms the technical-scientific maturity of the project and the full replicability of the ecosystem
in different application contexts.
