On 14th February, SeaClear 2.0 project partners met for the first time in Delft, Netherlands, where they discussed each partner’s role and contribution and planned project next steps.

With nearly half a billion tonnes of plastics entering European seas every year, technological solutions to identify and remove litter must be coupled with social interventions to prevent and reduce the production and release of litter by citizens.

The new EU-funded initiative aims to utilise artificial intelligence, by deploying a fleet of smart robots to autonomously identify, locate, and collect marine litter on their own. SeaClear2.0 team will activate and empower local communities through gamified interventions and will work with them to develop policy recommendations to address policy gaps.