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December 5, 2025

Campus@Sea at the CoP North Sea End-of-Year Meeting: advancing security on a digital and dynamic North Sea

On Tuesday 2 December, Campus@Sea took part in the end-of-year meeting of the Community of Practice (CoP) North Sea. The central theme of this edition was national security on the North Sea, an increasingly urgent topic as the region becomes busier, more digitalised and more strategically important for energy, logistics, nature and defence.

The programme offered a reflection on 2025, complemented by insights from across the network. Speakers shared perspectives on protecting vital offshore infrastructure, the rapid rise of digital systems at sea, and the need for stronger connections between government, knowledge institutions and industry. Collaboration is no longer optional; it has become a structural prerequisite for a future-proof and secure North Sea.

Campus@Sea and SeaSEC: security requires experimentation, knowledge sharing and joint innovation

During the meeting, Campus@Sea and SeaSEC (the Seabed Security Experimentation Centre of the Ministry of Defence) presented their collaboration. Together we showcased how we work on testing and experimentation, knowledge development and an integrated approach in which civil, scientific and military domains reinforce one another.

We also provided a preview of the steps being taken to future-proof security on the North Sea and the seabed, a domain where challenges quickly become complex and where innovation cycles must be shorter than the threats that emerge.

The Campus@Sea x SeaSEC round table: debate on short-cycle innovation for security

One of the programme elements was a round table facilitated by Campus@Sea and SeaSEC. We intentionally chose an interactive debate format. Participants were divided into two groups and asked to either defend or challenge two statements. This led to lively discussions, sharp insights and concrete recommendations for the Defence leadership.

Statement 1: “Securing vital infrastructure in the North Sea requires short-cycle offshore innovations.”

The discussion underscored the urgency of accelerating innovation. Both threats and technologies evolve faster than traditional policy and procurement processes can adapt.

Those in favour argued that short-cycle innovation:

• reduces risks, as ineffective solutions can be identified and stopped quickly
• creates more opportunities for collaboration and experimentation
• enables a broader technological bandwidth, increasing the likelihood of finding effective solutions

Those against highlighted institutional obstacles:

• government structures are not yet designed for rapid innovation
• long permitting and decision-making timelines impede progress
• too many fragmented short-term initiatives can undermine strategic coherence

The strength of the debate lay in its balance: the need for speed was widely recognised, but so was the requirement for structural changes to make short-cycle innovation possible.

Statement 2: “Short-cycle innovation with and for Defence is sufficiently supported by current Defence procurement processes.”

Supporters argued that:

• a clear sense of urgency has taken root within government and Defence
• the first steps are being made to adapt existing processes

Opponents offered a more critical view:

• Defence is not yet equipped for the speed innovation requires
• ambition currently exceeds execution capacity
• procurement processes remain too rigid for low-TRL experimentation

This tension highlighted the importance of better alignment across policy, operational needs and decision-making structures.

A valuable afternoon for a safer North Sea

The CoP North Sea end-of-year meeting made clear that the challenges on the North Sea demand cross-domain collaboration and stronger connections between civil, academic and military expertise.

A rich afternoon of insights, dialogue and shared ambition: building together towards a safe and resilient North Sea.