The Port of Riga is set to become a testing ground for secure and resilient maritime communications following a new partnership between technical port services provider LVR Flote and connectivity technology company HARDMODE.

The companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Techritory Forum in Riga, outlining plans to develop and test communications technologies designed to support port operations during routine activities and crisis situations.

The collaboration will see new connectivity solutions piloted in real port operations, alongside joint research and development initiatives and plans to commercialise successful technologies for deployment at other European ports.

Artūrs Lindenbergs, Founder & CEO at HARDMODE: “Critical infrastructure is getting more demanding every year. As more sensors, vehicles and systems are connected, more of a port’s daily work stops when connectivity drops. Our approach has two parts. The first is layering: resilience cannot depend on a single technology, so we combine several, and when one is degraded, the others carry the traffic. The second is decentralisation: each node carries both the network and the software the use case needs, and the nodes connect directly to each other. The result is one solution rather than a set of systems someone has to integrate on site, and the Port of Riga is the right place to prove that in real operations.”

HARDMODE develops multi-technology communications systems designed to keep sensors, personnel, vehicles, drones and infrastructure connected, including in environments where commercial networks are unavailable. The partnership comes amid growing concerns over global navigation satellite system (GNSS) interference in the Baltic Sea region, which has affected shipping and port operations in recent years.

The companies will explore how mobile, non-terrestrial, tactical and narrowband communications technologies can operate within a unified ecosystem to improve port resilience and operational reliability.

For LVR Flote, which supports the maintenance and operation of infrastructure at the Port of Riga, the initiative will provide an opportunity to assess new technologies against practical operational requirements. Potential applications include infrastructure monitoring, data management, navigation safety, maintenance and digital port services.

Kaspars Ozoliņš, Member of the Board of LVR Flote: “Port technical services have to keep running in everyday operations and in a crisis alike. Together with HARDMODE, we want to explore how hydrographic surveys, infrastructure maintenance and coordination with other port stakeholders could continue even when conventional networks are disrupted. For us, this is what innovation, cooperation and development mean in practice: developing solutions based on real operational needs and growing stronger together.”

The partners also plan to establish an open testing framework involving other technology companies developing sensors, monitoring systems, automation solutions and digital services that depend on secure connectivity.

With HARDMODE having roots in both Latvia and the Netherlands, the partnership is expected to support cross-border research and development initiatives and create opportunities to expand successful solutions into wider European markets.

H.E. Carl Peersman, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Latvia: “Resilient critical infrastructure and secure digital connectivity are vital for both the security and economic stability of Europe’s maritime gateways. As a proud country partner of the Techritory Forum, the Embassy of the Netherlands is pleased to see this collaboration take shape between Dutch-Latvian innovators like HARDMODE (Sentyiv B.V.) and Latvia’s LVR Flote. Using the Port of Riga as a real-world testbed underscores the strength of our bilateral innovation ties and our shared commitment to building robust, future-proof solutions for the entire European maritime sector.”