AdriaSAR Project Finalizes Digital Platform Requirements and Launches Software Development Phase
21/09/2026
LECCE, ITALY - The international partnership of the AdriaSAR project, co-funded by the European Union under the Interreg VI-A Italy–Croatia Programme 2021–2027, has officially finalized the technical requirements for its digital platform and launched the software development phase of its demonstrator. The operational coordination of this critical technical phase is led by CNA Lecce.
The software demonstrator, which is currently undergoing active software development and has not yet been launched, is designed as an agile, secure, web-based application. Available in English, Italian, and Croatian, the platform aims to bridge communication and coordination gaps during joint search and rescue operations across the Adriatic Sea. Under the coordination of CNA Lecce, the tool brings together institutional SAR authorities, voluntary rescue organizations, and civilian vessels such as leisure boaters, merchant ships, and fishing crews.
The platform features a multi-tiered architecture tailored to three main user groups. Distressed users and eyewitnesses can issue a rapid One-Tap SOS alert that automatically retrieves GPS, Wi-Fi, or IP location data, categorizes the emergency type, and confirms whether official distress channels like VHF Channel 16 have been contacted. Meanwhile, voluntary organizations and civilian ships can manage their vessel profiles, view active alerts nearby, run personalized simulations based on their fuel range and speed, and submit formal intervention proposals to rescue authorities. National SAR authorities, including MRCCs and the Coast Guard, gain access to a dedicated dashboard to validate incoming alerts and utilize a specialized De-confliction Panel to approve, reject, or reassign private search sectors with a single click.
From a technical standpoint, the AdriaSAR demonstrator incorporates IAMSAR-compliant algorithms to calculate drift trajectories based on real-time oceanographic data from Copernicus and NOAA, while automatically generating optimal search routes on digital charts. It also includes RESTful API connectors designed for future data exchange with national systems such as Italy's PELAGUS and Croatia's CIMIS/VTMIS, all protected by robust OAuth2 and TLS encryption. As software engineering progresses under CNA Lecce's oversight, the completed demonstrator will eventually be presented and tested during upcoming cross-border joint training workshops and pilot drills.
