Smart SEAstems for Marine Reclamation Challenge
Smart SEAstems for Marine Reclamation Challenge
How might we design and deploy smart, scalable systems that protect, monitor, and actively sustain the marine environment while enabling practical adoption across diverse maritime and coastal contexts?
Join our webinar with KAHRAMAA and QRDI on January 27th, 2026 by registering here
Safeguarding Marine Biodiversity Through Smart Net-Tracking and Autonomous Recovery Solutions
As the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) aligns its strategy with the Qatar National Vision 2030, the goal is to ensure marine ecosystems are protected, monitored, and actively sustained. Today, managing the impact of abandoned or "ghost" fishing nets is largely reactive, relying on manual inspections and periodic reports. There is a critical need for a smart, scalable, and proactive management system.
The MoECC is calling on innovators to introduce smart systems that can proactively track, detect, and mitigate the impact of fishing nets throughout their lifecycle. Your solution should enable real-time visibility and effective intervention, moving beyond current manual and ineffective methods.
💡 Your Mission:
Create an advanced marine environment intelligence solution that provides scalable monitoring and recovery of fishing nets. Your solution should leverage digital identifiers, autonomous retrieval systems, or impact-limiting designs to assist authorities in reducing ecosystem degradation and fish mortality. While diverse technological approaches are welcome, the system must demonstrate location accuracy within ±10 m and reliability at depths of 15–20 m for POC, with a pathway to 60 m.
🚀 Why Participate?
- Work directly with MoECC on a high-impact national marine conservation challenge.
- Demonstrate your capabilities in IoT, autonomous systems, and marine-safe materials at a national scale.
- Gain access to relevant data and pilot sites provided by the MoECC for solution development and validation.
- Receive up to USD 100,000 in QRDI funding to support your solution development.
- Explore opportunities for commercial deployment across Qatar’s full Exclusive Economic Zone and potentially the wider GCC and global markets.
Be part of shaping the next generation of marine protection through real-time, smart intelligence. 🌟
Challenge Statement
Marine Sustainability: Building Smart System Tracking and Retrieval for Marine Ecosystem Resilience
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) is seeking solution providers to develop effective, scalable systems that reduce the environmental impact of fishing nets across their full lifecycle. While current efforts rely on manual field inspections and periodic reports, there is no centralized digital system providing real-time visibility into the location and status of lost, abandoned, or illegal "ghost" nets. MoECC is open to diverse technological approaches, including net tagging, autonomous retrieval drones, or impact-limiting net designs.
Your solution should combine mechanical robustness with advanced tracking or mitigation capabilities capable of operating in high-salinity Gulf waters at depths of up to 60 meters. It must deliver location accuracy within ±10 m and include a secure method to associate nets with operator identification to ensure accountability and enable practical intervention.
The goal is to protect the marine ecosystem, reduce fish mortality, and prevent damage to critical offshore infrastructure through a transparent, data-driven, and scalable marine reclamation solution.
Opportunities & Incentives
Step Up and Be Rewarded: Unlock Opportunities Worth Up to $100,000 in Awards
Cash contributions
In-kind contributions
In-kind contributions
Timeline Overview
February 1st - April 14th 2026
Startups and SMEs (TRL 5+) can now sign up on the platform, complete the participation form, and submit a proposal deck to showcase their solutions.
A webinar will be hosted for further details and a Q&A session with MoECC and QRDI. More details will be announced soon.
Mid-Late April 2026
MoECC and QRDI will review all proposals to identify potential solution providers.
May - June 2026
Shortlisted innovators will connect directly with MoECC teams for in-depth technical discussions.
July - August 2026
The final announcement of matched innovators will be made on the platform by August 2026.