Under Phase 2 of Deep Blue, BMT has been engaged by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport of South Australia to prototype its ADAPT platform for State harbour management, marking a key step toward smarter, data-autonomous maritime operations.
27 November 2025
Under Phase 2 of the Deep Blue Project BMT has been engaged by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport of South Australia (DIT SA) to develop a prototype of its ADAPT platform for management of State harbours. This marks a key milestone in Australia’s journey toward smarter, data-autonomous maritime operations.
The prototype is based on BMT’s ADAPT (Adaptive Dredging Automated Prediction Tool) platform - a cloud-based, AI-powered data management and intelligence system that enables real-time environmental monitoring, predictive insights and improved operational decision-making for ports and coastal infrastructure.
ADAPT integrates multiple data sources - from autonomous vessels and metocean sensors to survey models and machine learning outputs - transforming vast and complex data streams into actionable intelligence. It automates pattern detection, anomaly identification and forecasting across diverse port and environmental datasets, helping decision-makers reduce dredging costs, improve safety and optimise operations.
The ADAPT platform is delivering measurable results for customers, in line with BMT’s commitment to operational excellence and sustainability. Early deployments indicate efficiency gains of up to 15% compared to traditional approaches, achieved through advanced forecasting that helps avoid over-dredging, proactive maintenance to safeguard channel access and trade continuity, and intelligent scheduling that reduces fuel consumption and carbon emissions. The platform builds on BMT’s extensive experience supporting ports and coastal infrastructure across Australia, where AI-enabled simulation and digital twin technologies have become core to future-ready asset management and sustainable dredging strategies.
Through its ‘Deep Blue’ collaboration, BMT is breaking new ground in maritime data autonomy, moving beyond traditional remote sensing models to create a dynamic data-as-a-service ecosystem. By embedding AI and intelligent analytics across autonomous platforms, data networks and digital twins, BMT is enabling customers to transform data into foresight - empowering faster and more confident decision-making.
Graeme Nayler, BMT’s Regional Business Director, Asia-Pacific, said:
“This project represents a step change in how Australia thinks about and manages maritime data. By combining AI and autonomy, ‘Deep Blue’ is proving that data is not just collected - it’s intelligent, active and transformative. Our collaboration with the Department of Infrastructure and Transport reinforces our commitment to helping government and industry reimagine data as a sovereign asset driving safety, sustainability and operational advantage.”
The Deep Blue Project builds on BMT’s successful partnership with Australian-based autonomy specialist Ocius Technology, whose ‘Bluebottle’ autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) recently demonstrated persistent remote data collection capabilities under real-world sea conditions in the Gippsland region. The combination of BMT’s DEEP and ADAPT platforms with Ocius’s renewable-powered autonomous systems proves how AI-driven autonomy and scalable data fusion can reshape maritime operations for government and industry alike.
As part of its broader innovation portfolio - including AI-assisted dredging solutions unveiled at WODCON XXIV 2025 in San Diego - BMT continues to advance research and operational capability in multi-domain data integration, digital maritime systems and predictive analytics. The organisation’s approach reflects a wider strategy to deliver sovereign and commercial, scalable and sustainable technology that underpins Australia’s blue economy and defence industries alike.
ADAPT and ‘Deep Blue’ exemplify BMT’s position as a leader in maritime digital transformation, automation, and data autonomy - uniting environmental science, AI and engineering expertise to enable the next generation of maritime decision support systems.
The ‘Deep Blue’ partnership reinforces BMT’s innovator status and role in the digital modernisation of Australian ports and coastal infrastructure. Recent work highlighted in Port has demonstrated BMT’s expertise in integrating AI, environmental science and digital modelling to improve port sustainability, resilience and efficiency - key drivers behind national blue economy growth.
