In 2018, VLIZ founded the Marine Robotics Centre (MRC) with the support of the Flemish government. Over the years, the VLIZ MRC developed into a knowledge hub for marine autonomous systems and was involved in various research and innovation projects. In 2022, the VLIZ MRC spread its wings internationally. The high-tech research infrastructure and an experienced specialised team of eight VLIZ employees ensure that the VLIZ MRC is a highly renowned and relied upon partner in a European research context.
An example is the participation of the VLIZ MRC in the Eurofleets+ campaigns GRACE and SEAQUAKE in the Mediterranean Sea. Launched from research vessel (RV) Belgica, autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Barabas collected seabed data during these campaigns. These date were used to assess geological risks in the Ceuta Canyon with unprecedented precision.
AUV Barabas also played an important part in the DynaMOD II campaign in the Atlantic Ocean conducted by the Renard Centre of Marine Geology (Ghent University) aboard RV Belgica. The VLIZ MRC team supported the scientists in the collection of high-resolution data on the seabed of the continental slope in the Porcupine Seabight (west of Ireland). During this campaign, the AUV covered a distance of no less than 200 km under water, reached a record depth of 1,000 metres and unexpectedly captured images of the wreck of a sunken fishing vessel.
In addition, the VLIZ MRC coordinated a scientific expedition to western Greenland on board the Greenlandic research vessel RV Sanna in 2022, with the support of the Eurofleets+ programme and in partnership with NIOZ (Netherlands) and Hereon (Germany). In an expanse of fjords over a hundred kilometres long, the VLIZ crew investigated the impact of climate change on the distribution of plankton, the upwelling of nutrients and the complex interaction with the marine ecosystem.
Besides the missions in international waters, the Belgian part of the North Sea remains an important area of operations and the testing ground of the VLIZ MRC. Numerous test trips were made with remotely operated underwater vehicles, and campaigns were implemented with the AUV, USV and ROV within the scope of the projects Coastbusters 20 Infragravity Waves and North Sea Wrecks.
In the future, the VLIZ MRC will continue to put its expertise and infrastructure at the disposal of (inter)national research and innovation projects. With a view to diversifying the research possibilities and increasing the operational capacity, the centre will expand its fleet in a targeted manner. To this end, it plans to procure an additional glider and an unmanned surface vessel over the course of 2023.