BlueGovAI Launches Cross-Border Survey on AI and Maritime Governance
15/05/2026
The future of maritime governance in the Adriatic is becoming smarter, more connected, and more sustainable.
The BlueGovAI project has officially launched its cross-border survey aimed at improving maritime governance between Italy and Croatia through artificial intelligence and digital innovation.
Funded by the Interreg Italy–Croatia Programme and co-financed by the European Union, BlueGovAI explores how AI-supported solutions can reduce administrative burden, improve institutional cooperation, and support a more efficient and sustainable blue economy.
BlueGovAI is developed by a group of partners led by Cooperativa Odos: Quantitas, and Ora and brings together public institutions, research actors, and innovation partners.
The survey is a fundamental part of the project and is accompanied by 20 semi-structured interviews involving maritime stakeholders, public authorities, experts, and blue economy operators across the Adriatic region.
Addressing Administrative Fragmentation
Many maritime operators and small-port stakeholders working between Italy and Croatia still face duplicated paperwork, fragmented procedures, and inconsistent reporting requirements.
From permits and inspections to environmental compliance and operational documentation, organizations are often required to submit the same information multiple times to different authorities and systems.
BlueGovAI aims to identify these inefficiencies and explore how AI tools and interoperable digital systems could help simplify procedures, improve transparency, and strengthen cross-border coordination.
What the Research Will Explore
This general survey focuses on:
• administrative burden and duplicated reporting
• institutional and regulatory fragmentation
• digital readiness and AI adoption
• interoperability between Italian and Croatian systems
• ethical and trustworthy AI
• and opportunities for smarter governance solutions
The initiative targets maritime SMEs and operators, port authorities, logistics and transport stakeholders, environmental agencies, tourism actors, and public administrations active in the Adriatic blue economy.
The project will also gather insights on how AI could support document processing, procedural guidance, multilingual communication, and access to reliable regulatory information.
The next step will be to lead a second survey dedicated to youth engagement component.
A specific survey is being co-designed by young professionals for young people aged 18–30 living in the Italy–Croatia area and aims to understand the perception of artificial intelligence in governance
From Research to Action
The findings collected through the survey and interviews will contribute to:
• the identification of duplicated administrative procedures;
• the development of AI-supported governance tools;
• recommendations for harmonized cross-border practices;
• and ethical AI guidelines for maritime governance.
BlueGovAI ultimately seeks to support a more transparent, interoperable, and innovation-driven governance model for the Adriatic region.
By participating in the survey, stakeholders can directly contribute to shaping future digital solutions for cross-border maritime cooperation and the sustainable blue economy.
The success of cross-border cooperation depends not only on technology, but also on listening to the people who navigate these systems every day.
And this survey is where that conversation begins.