The research network for Maritime Security and Ocean Governance
Following the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines, our research on submarine data cables, has caught significant attention. Coverage includes Der Spiegel, Wall Street Journal and several national newspapers. SafeSeas director Professor Christian Bueger also published three commentaries: A commentary in the Conversation demonstrated why the underwater domain gains little attention. A commentary in The … Read more
By Christian Bueger The attack on the Nord Stream attack has brought much attention to critical maritime infrastructures and their protection. Yet, we are far from a solid understanding of what critical maritime infrastructures are and what kind of protection they need. To contribute to this critical knowledge the ocean infrastructure research group of the … Read more
By Christian Bueger Whatever caused the damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, it appears to be the first major attack on critical “subsea” (underwater) infrastructure in Europe. It’s now widely thought – not least by Nato – that the explosions that led to major leaks in the two pipelines were not caused by accidents. … Read more
The oceans host various important infrastructures. Shipping, routes and ports are vital for global trade. In the subsea it is pipelines supplying oil and gas, electricity cables that are key in the green revolution, and data cables that today’s digital connectivity depends on. Yet, in debates on critical infrastructure, the maritime is often forgotten. The … Read more
By Robert Yates & Scott Edwards In June 2022, the University of Bristol hosted a workshop bringing together academics working on Southeast Asia. From a variety of disciplines, participants explored what an integrated presence could look like, and the different dynamics the UK needs to consider. This policy report summarises the findings of the workshop … Read more
SafeSeas is co-hosting a public event in Cape Town, South Africa on the 23.9. 14.00-16.00. Chaired by Timothy Walker (Institute for Security Studies), the roundtable will feature presentations from key experts and stakeholders, including the Indian Ocean Commission, the African Union and the digital industry. Register here to attend and to receive further information Digital … Read more
In early 2022 a subtle, but substantial shift took place in the Western Indian Ocean’s security architecture: The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (known as CGPCS) closed shop. It was replaced by a new format. Yet, not much action followed. In a new commentary, Christian Bueger investigates the prospects of the … Read more
by Christian Bueger In early 2022 a subtle, but substantial shift took place in the Western Indian Ocean’s security architecture: The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (known as CGPCS) closed shop. The CGPCS had been an instrumental part in containing piracy off the Coast of Somalia. Since its installation in 2009 … Read more
The UK published a new National Strategy for Maritime Security (NSMS) on 15 August 2022. The NSMS comes at a critical time for the UK maritime sector. Maritime security is key to delivering the UK’s ambitions in foreign, security and defence policy, as well as for blue economic growth and environmental sustainability. At the same … Read more
In June 2022, SafeSeas co-organized a workshop on subsea data cables as part of our work on this theme. The report summarizing the key findings is now out here. Our key argument is that the new awareness and the growing expansion of the network implies a new era for cable security. We discuss seven key … Read more