Researchers, network operators and technology providers met in Porto, Portugal, on 9–10 November to discuss how submarine cables could support long-term ocean observation. The international workshop was titled “SMART Cables, Science and Society: Towards a deep-sea long-term monitoring of the global Ocean”.
Around 150 people took part over the two days. The programme covered sensor technologies, ongoing research projects and cooperation between scientists, telecommunications companies and other stakeholders.
Erik-Jan Bos, Senior Advisor at NORDUnet and Co-chair of the Polar Connect Executive Team, presented how the initiative is exploring sensing in the Arctic. His presentation drew on findings from the recent Polar Connect sensing workshop in Gothenburg, Sweden and the 2026 expedition for Polar Connect aboard the Swedish icebreaker Oden, which collected survey data to support planning of the future cable route across the Central Arctic Ocean.
Exploring sensing options for Polar Connect
The Porto discussions covered both SMART cables—submarine telecommunications cables equipped with scientific sensors—and optical fibre sensing technologies. The two approaches can provide different kinds of observations and may complement one another.
– The workshop gave us valuable input on how sensing could be considered as part of Polar Connect, and on the collaboration needed between researchers, network operators and technology providers, says Erik-Jan Bos.
The workshop concluded with the Porto Statement, which calls for closer cooperation between monitoring projects and the submarine cable sector, the adoption of established industry practices, and data governance frameworks that enable open, real-time sharing of scientific and societal data. It also calls for refining licensing procedures for multipurpose cable infrastructures.
Learn more
- The workshop was livestreamed on the INESCTEC.OCEAN YouTube channel. Watch the recordings: Day 1 (9 November) | Day 2 (10 November).
- Workshop programme and information – Towards a deep-sea long-term monitoring of the global Ocean.
- Porto Statement
SMART cables
SMART stands for Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications. SMART cables combine telecommunications infrastructure with scientific sensors. Optical fibre sensing can also use signals in the cable’s fibres to detect changes along the cable. The two approaches can complement one another.
Polar Connect
Polar Connect is a proposed submarine cable on a direct route east of Greenland, close to the geographical North Pole, aiming to connect Europe, North America, and Japan on the shortest possible route. The initiative is also exploring how the infrastructure could support scientific observations.
