Joint EMSA/European Space Agency workshop on VDES

On 6 December 2023, together with the European Space Agency (ESA), we will hold a joint workshop on the VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) at our Lisbon headquarters.

VDES is an extension of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) which is widely used for navigation safety between ships and between ships and shore stations to track and identify vessels. Developed to also work with low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, VDES offers a higher data exchange capacity than that of traditional AIS. This allows for the transmission of larger data sets, which can be crucial for various applications such as real-time weather updates, route optimisation, and other data-intensive services.

VDES also supports two-way communication, enabling vessels to exchange not just basic identification and positioning data, but also more complex information. This can facilitate improved communication and data exchange.

The programme

This workshop aims to provide insight into the latest VDES developments at European and international level, including discussions about the joint EMSA/ESA VDE-SAT initiatives, such as the ship to shore reporting pilot programme and the VDE capability project. It will also present Member States' perspectives on potential VDES use-case scenarios, regulatory developments, the industry's advances, and future plans for providing VDES services in the maritime sector.

There will be ample time for discussion, questions, and feedback, with a wide range of speakers from national administrations, industry, EMSA and ESA.

The agenda is available below.

Event information

The EMSA-ESA Workshop on VDES will be held on 6 December 2023 at EMSA’s headquarters. There are still some places available to attend the workshop; you can register your interest by sending an e-mail to events@emsa.europa.eu no later than Monday, 27 November 2023.