D.02.1 - Market Assessment

The main objective of the NeXOS project is to develop new cost-effective, innovative and compact integrated multifunctional sensor systems which can be deployed from mobile and fixed ocean observing platforms. The sensor systems can be divided into ocean optics, ocean passive acoustics and EAF sensor systems (Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries management). Within the NeXOS project, WP2 aims to:

• Assess the economic viability of sensor system requirements and products;

• Develop industrialisation strategies for the projects where applicable.

These tasks are performed in close cooperation with WP1 of NeXOS and especially the work performed on identifying the social and economic requirements for sensor development.

The underlying report addresses the current market of marine environmental sensors and the competitive position of European sensor manufacturers therein.

Typically, marine sensors are used for one of the following particular aims:

• Legal aim: monitoring of the marine environment because legislation requires an actor to do so

• Industrial (commercial) aim: an economic operator uses sensors to monitor or steer its processes, as they are considered the most economically advantageous way to do so

• R&D aims: the use of sensors for the sake of science, without a pre-defined application in mind.