Innovative solution for the analysis of populations of mussel seeds and cohabiting species by means of UAVs
The Civil UAVs Initiative is a pioneering strategic initiative in Europe that, promoted by the Xunta de Galicia through a public-private collaboration scheme, aims to attract investment in the aerospace sector and develop the industry of systems and unmanned vehicles aimed at improve the provision of public services in the civil sphere, responding to a set of challenges in the public sector.
Around this initiative, an innovation community has been generated, in which a wide variety of actors participate: companies, technology centers, universities and research groups.
After its first operational period, which spanned the years 2015-2020, the Civil UAVs Initiative has established itself as the main instrument of industrial policy and R&D of the Xunta de Galicia in the aeronautical sector and has contributed to the development of the Galician aerospace pole. During this period, the Xunta de Galicia invested 84 million euros in the Civil UAVS Initiative, mobilizing financing from the private sector for a total investment of 164 million euros. These investments gave rise, among other milestones, to the generation of 62 products and solutions, to the participation of several entities of the Government of Spain and three large companies in the aerospace sector (which mobilized some 50 companies and technology centers in the regional ecosystem). and the creation of a unique technological infrastructure in Rozas (Lugo).
With the aim of consolidating the aerospace sector in Galicia, continuing to support companies and knowledge centers, attracting new investments and, ultimately, strengthening the local fabric and job creation, the Xunta de Galicia has decided to promote the Civil UAVs Initiative for a new five-year period, from 2021 to 2025.
The Civil UAVs Initiative 2021-2025 is structured at the programmatic level in two levels: programs and actions.
At a first level, seven Programs have been designed that group and summarize thematically the main lines of priority action of the Civil UAVs Initiative within the framework of the National Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and the new European Cohesion Policy.
- Program 1: Joint R+D+i program
- Program 2: Solutions program.
- Program 3: Scientific research program.
- Program 4: Infrastructure program.
- Program 5: Competitiveness Program.
- Program 6: Talent program.
- Program 7: Scientific-technological vocations program.
This solution called “Development and acquisition of innovative solutions for the improvement of public emergency services and management of marine resources of the Xunta de Galicia”, refers to Action 04 “Solutions 21-22”, belonging to Program 2 “Solutions Program” of the Strategic Plan 2021-2025 of the Civil UAVs Initiative and includes 5 lots:
- Lot 1: Development and acquisition of an innovative solution for urgent healthcare on the Camino de Santiago by means of UAVs.
- Lot 2: Development and acquisition of an innovative solution for monitoring forest areas for the prevention, extinction of fires and post-fire restoration by means of UAVs.
- Lot 3: Development and acquisition of an innovative solution for fishing, shellfish and aquaculture inspection and surveillance, by means of UAVs.
- Lot 4: Development and acquisition of an innovative solution for locating missing persons by means of UAVs.
- Lot 5: Development and acquisition of an innovative solution for the analysis of mussel seed populations and cohabiting species by means of UAVs.
This web page covers Lot 5, the purpose of which is the research and development service and, where appropriate, the development of a support service for the analysis of mussel spat populations (Mytilus Galloprovincialis) and cohabiting species in rocky intertidal habitats based on the use of unmanned aircraft.
The solution constitutes a first approximation to a massive collection of information that allows to study the temporal variability of the cheek on the Galician coast, as well as the evaluation of the distribution of other species such as the barnacle. This solution has two main specific objectives:
- Facilitate the systematic acquisition of images in two specific periods: October-December and March-May.
- Facilitate the analysis of this information through the availability of visualization and analysis tools that make it possible to improve the management of these resources.
Public Administrations
Xunta de Galicia is the collegiate governing body of the Spanish autonomous community of Galicia.
It is made up of the president, vice-president or vice-presidents (if applicable) and ministers, who share the different areas of government. Vice-presidents and councilors are appointed by the president. Galicia exercises its administrative functions through the Board and the ministries.
The Galician government launched the Civil UAVs Initiative for the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAVs) in the civil sphere and to improve the provision of public services within the framework of promoting the development of an aeronautical pole of European reference in Galicia.
GAIN, the Galician Agency for Innovation, is an autonomous public agency, attached to the Second Vice-Presidency and Department of Economy, Business and Innovation but with its own legal personality, whose purpose is to promote and structure innovation policies in Galician public administrations, and the support and promotion of the growth and competitiveness of Galician companies, through the implementation of efficient innovation strategies and programmes.
GAIN is the contracting body for all projects dependent on the CUI by virtue of the provisions of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations and the provisions of the GAIN statute, approved by Autonomous Decree 50/2012, of January 12, which creates the Galician Agency for Innovation and approves its statutes (Official Gazette of Galicia No. 19, of January 27.
CIMA, Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, carries out oriented and applied research, the purpose of which is to achieve the rational and effective management of renewable marine resources, within the geographical area of competence of the Autonomous Community of Galicia.
The CIMA “depends on the Consellería do Mar”. It is made up of the Corón Marine Research Center in Vilanova de Arousa (Pontevedra) and a marine culture plant located in Ribadeo (Lugo).
The CIMA participates as a representative of the Public Administration during the development of the project, defining the functional needs of the project together with the development team.
CETMAR, the Sea Technology Center is a foundation of Galician interest that was born in 2001 at the initiative of the Ministry of the Sea and the General Directorate of R+D+i of the Xunta de Galicia and the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
The fundamental objective of the Center is to promote cooperation between institutions, research centers and the maritime-fishing sector, as well as to encourage the involvement of sectors dependent on the sea in R+D+i activities and to promote the efficiency of all activities related to the use and exploitation of the marine environment.
CETMAR’s actions extend to the national, European and international level, with all the public and private sectors related to the sea and its resources, and the marine environment in general, the beneficiaries of its activity.