Published on: 2026-08-27
Source: Official website of the State –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Imagine a device that can independently survey the seabed, search for underwater objects, collect data in the Arctic, or operate in places where sending a person is difficult, expensive, or dangerous. This is one of the directions of marine unmanned systems — technologies to whose development a strategic session was dedicated. “Marine Robotics” in Murmansk.
Representatives of the State University of Management are participating in the session. At the Murmansk Arctic University venue, scientists, government representatives, and industry discuss how to turn promising developments into technologies ready to solve real-world problems.
What are maritime unmanned systems?
Essentially, these are marine robots capable of performing certain tasks without the direct presence of a human on board. They can operate on the water’s surface or underwater, gather information using cameras and sensors, chart routes, survey large areas, and interact with other devices.
Their range of applications is vast: seabed research, environmental monitoring, object detection, infrastructure condition control, and performing tasks in hard-to-reach areas. Such technologies are especially in demand in the Arctic, where the harsh climate and vast distances significantly complicate human work.
But creating a separate drone is not enough. One of the tasks of modern science is to teach various autonomous devices to operate as a single system.
The panel discussion “Multienvironment autonomous systems, swarm and end-to-end technologies,” moderated by the GUU Vice-Rector Maria Karelina, was dedicated to this very topic.
Multienvironment systems combine devices capable of operating in different environments, such as on water, underwater, and in the air. Swarm technologies enable a group of drones to coordinate their actions and jointly accomplish the assigned task. And artificial intelligence helps such systems analyze incoming data and increase the level of autonomy.
Scientists from the State University of Management also presented their developments at the strategic session. Dmitry Nikitin, Deputy Director of the Center for Space Research, Unmanned and Radio Electronic Technologies, and Dmitry Rybakov, a research associate at the Center, spoke about the results of the university’s projects and the prospects for their application to solve practical problems.
From scientific research to real technology
This transition became one of the central topics of the meeting in Murmansk. On the first day, participants discussed artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, new materials, cross-cutting technologies, and solutions for surface and underwater robotic complexes.
The strategic task is much broader than creating individual marine robots. Representatives of science and industry need to determine which technologies are truly necessary for the sector, unite the competencies of universities and enterprises, and establish a mechanism whereby a promising development can progress from the laboratory to practical application.
Therefore, experts have proposed creating a unified list of priority research topics and providing targeted support for them through programs of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. This approach will allow universities to focus on developments that are in demand by industry.
The strategic session was organized by the Rostec Group, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, the NTI Fund, the Maritime Collegium of the Russian Federation, the governments of the Murmansk Region and the Donetsk People’s Republic jointly with leading specialized universities.
For GUU, participating in such work is an opportunity to engage in the formation of new technological directions, present their own scientific results, and find partners for their further development. Collaboration with leading enterprises and universities opens new prospects for GUU projects in the field of unmanned, autonomous, and radio-electronic technologies.
Subscribe to the Telegram channel “Our GUU” Publication date: 27.08.2026
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