As offshore energy systems become increasingly autonomous, distributed, and data-driven, CPS research is essential to ensure safety, resilience, security, and trust. The Programme addresses the design, verification, and operation of complex systems where sensing, computation, communication, and actuation interact in harsh and safety-critical marine environments.
Research Focus Areas
Autonomous & Intelligent Systems
Design and validation of autonomous and semi-autonomous subsea and offshore systems, including control architectures, decision-making algorithms, and human-machine interaction.
Edge Computing & Distributed Intelligence
Deployment of computation and analytics at the edge, enabling real-time processing, reduced latency, and resilient operation in bandwidth-constrained subsea environments.
Digital Twins & System Verification
Development of high-fidelity digital twins for design, testing, verification, and operational optimisation of cyber-physical offshore systems.
Cyber Security & System Resilience
Protection of offshore and subsea cyber-physical systems from cyber threats, ensuring robustness, fault tolerance, and secure operation of industrial control systems.
Systems Integration & Interoperability
Frameworks and standards to enable integration and interoperability across heterogeneous platforms, sensors, and control systems.
Industry and Societal Impact
The Cyber-Physical Systems Programme delivers impact by:
- Enabling safe and trusted autonomy in offshore and subsea operations
- Improving operational efficiency and reliability through intelligent systems
- Reducing human exposure to hazardous environments
- Strengthening the cyber resilience of critical energy infrastructure
- Supporting dual-use technologies for energy, defence, and maritime security
The Programme underpins the digital foundations required for the future of offshore energy and marine operations.
Facilities and Collaboration
- Subsea autonomy and control systems laboratories
- Hardware-in-the-loop and simulation environments
- Digital twin and systems modelling platforms
- Secure testbeds for industrial cyber security research
- Offshore energy operators and technology developers
- Defence and maritime security organisations
- Digital, AI, and cyber security companies
- Academic partners across engineering, computing, and systems science
These collaborations ensure CPS research delivers deployable, resilient, and trusted systems for real-world offshore applications.
Find out more
Learn more about collaborative research opportunities at the National Subsea Centre: