NEXTMARINE: Pioneering Discovery in Extreme Marine Environments (Novel enzymes from extreme marine environments as a source for value-added targets) is a research and innovation action (RIA) project coordinated by the University of Crete with another 11 partners, and aims to advance the sustainable exploration of extreme marine ecosystems, including hydrothermal vents in the Aegean Sea and anoxic zones in the Baltic Sea. These environments host extremophile microorganisms with unique biochemical properties and strong potential for green industrial applications in food, biomaterials, and pharmaceuticals.

PLOATECH leads Work Package 1: Exploring and Sampling of Marine Resources, addressing the challenge of accessing these fragile ecosystems while minimizing environmental impact. The company is developing advanced hyperspectral imaging systems for ROVs, combined with AI-based algorithms for automated seabed classification and fauna identification. These technologies enable precise mapping, biodiversity assessment, and targeted, non-invasive sampling.

WP1 also includes coordinated field expeditions at sea with leading marine research institutes, GEOMAR and HCMR, where PLOATECH plays a central technical role in deploying and validating the technologies in real operational conditions. Through NEXTMARINE, PLOATECH delivers robust engineering solutions for extreme environments, supporting responsible marine exploration and Europe’s circular bioeconomy ambitions