BackTowards better maritime risk management — join the OpenRisk II mid-term conference!
The OpenRisk II project charts a course toward improved maritime risk management in the Baltic Sea region by developing practical and user-friendly tools. Participate in the upcoming mid-term conference to exchange ideas and share your feedback on the solutions being developed!
The high volume of maritime traffic in the Baltic Sea makes it more susceptible to accidents and their associated consequences. Implementing reliable and efficient risk management strategies is crucial to mitigating potential impacts on the region’s unique natural environment and fostering a sustainable blue economy.
The OpenRisk II project charts a course toward better maritime risk management in the Baltic Sea Region. Since its launch in November 2023, the project has focused on developing of new, practical and user-centered risk management tools. In summary, the three key outputs are:
- The Baltic adaptation of the AISyRISK tool presents the risk picture in the risk landscape of the Baltic Sea in an interactive map and graph format, accessible online. It will also feature a new risk assessment module on ice navigation, which could have applications beyond the Baltic Sea Region. Primarily designed for long-term planning and risk mitigation, this tool helps users better understand and address maritime risks.
- The EcoSensitivity tool is a cutting-edge web-based decision support system designed to evaluate the consequences of oil spills on marine environments. It covers all stages, from defining accident specifics to modeling oil distribution and ecological impacts, providing comprehensive insights for effective response planning.
- The R-Mare matrix is a risk maturity model that allows maritime administrations to assess their current risk management performance and identify areas for improvement, guiding them toward higher maturity levels. Additionally, a method for assessing quality during the tendering process of maritime risk studies introduces specific evaluation criteria, ensuring that the proposals meet required standards for reliable and actionable results.
“The main objective of the project is to develop tools that support competent maritime authorities and other relevant stakeholders in improving risk assessment and prevention strategies. These tools can contribute to reducing the frequency of maritime accidents and minimizing their impact on people and the environment,” says Mirka Laurila-Pant, who works as the project coordinator in the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. “By improving maritime safety and security through better preparedness and responsiveness to accidents and security challenges, OpenRisk II also advances the objectives of PA Safe and PA Ship,” Laurila-Pant adds.
The EcoSensitivity tool, consisting of a suite of applications and tools, focusing on the consequences of oil spills is one of the three tools developed in OpenRisk II.
Mid-Term Conference on Maritime Risk Management and Piloting in the Baltic Sea Region
The two-day mid-term conference will take place in Tallinn, Estonia from the 26th to 27th of March 2025. “In the kick-off conference in March 2024, we focused on understanding end-user needs related to maritime risk management. This allowed us to gain valuable insights into existing practices and current challenges. At the upcoming mid-term conference, we aim to take the next step by gathering feedback on the tools we are developing to ensure they meet the end-user needs in the future”, explains Laurila-Pant.
The first day of the conference will feature keynote presentations highlighting end-user needs, current challenges, and the potential solutions offered by the OpenRisk II project. The second day will focus on piloting workshops, where national, regional, EU and global stakeholders will have the opportunity to test the tools and provide feedback.
If you wish to join the conference or have any questions, please contact the project partner representative at the University of Tartu: anneliis.koivupuu@ut.ee. The deadline for registrations is 11.03.2025.
For more information about the conference visit the OpenRisk II website and follow @OpenRisk II in LinkedIn.
OpenRisk II project (2023-26) is co-funded by the EU Interreg BSR
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