20 November 2025 12:00
e-GEOS, a joint venture between the Italian Space Agency (20%) and Telespazio (80%, Leonardo Group), supports the General Directorate for the Protection of Biodiversity and the Sea, within the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), in its monitoring of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across the country.
The project, included among the initiatives of the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) as part of investment M2C4 Inv. 3.2 Digitisation of national parks and marine protected areas, provides for the development of an integrated surveillance system for marine protected environments and adjacent coastlines, with the aim of ensuring their conservation. This monitoring activity, which complements that carried out by the Italian Coast Guard, will make it possible to build an information base to support long-term control operations, providing reports on any unusual vessel flows or behaviours.
e-GEOS performs observation and detection activities through the processing of SAR data - including those of the COSMO-SkyMed constellation of the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence, for which e-GEOS is the exclusive worldwide distributor for commercial purposes - and optical satellite data in Near Real-Time mode, combined with AIS (Automatic Identification System) and RF (Radio Frequency) information. The data is processed through machine learning algorithms integrated into the proprietary SEonSE platform (Smart Eyes on SEas), dedicated to monitoring the marine environment. This provides the competent authorities with accurate reports on the traffic, positioning, characteristics and activities of the vessels present in protected areas.
"We are proud of this project rooted in technological innovation and environmental responsibility, values that have always guided the mission of e-GEOS," said Milena Lerario, CEO of e-GEOS. "Earth Observation, a domain also considered strategic by Leonardo, is a concrete and crucial sector whose potential is evident in its support for environmental policies and the sustainable management of natural resources. Collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential to enhance these capabilities and translate them into real benefits for the protection of a fragile and precious biodiversity. e-GEOS confirms its commitment to putting its technological skills at the service of a common goal: to preserve the sea as a vital, economic and cultural resource, and deliver it intact to future generations."
"Processing and transforming data into useful information to support informed decision-making strengthens strategic knowledge and oversight capabilities, including for the marine environment, to the benefit of institutions and citizens alike. Earth observation from space and Leonardo’s digital technologies, which make it possible to extract useful information for various user communities, constitute a strategic infrastructure in which we continue to invest, for example, through the development of a new proprietary constellation, to ensure continuity, reliability and autonomy in monitoring the territory and ecosystems, in support of sustainability, security and national competitiveness,” said Massimo Claudio Comparini, Managing Director of Leonardo’s Space Division.
The activity covers all Italian Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), for a total of over 3,000 square kilometres. Recreational vessels within the MPAs will be surveyed and monitored in order to identify areas congested by mooring and anchoring, with particular attention to traffic in fully protected reserve zones (Zone A). Wind fields and wave height will also be analysed in relation to maritime traffic.
Map of Marine Protected Areas in Italy © Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security