LVR Flote, a provider of technical port services, and connectivity technology company HARDMODE have partnered to develop and test secure communications technologies for ports and the wider maritime sector as a crucial part of critical infrastructure. The goal is to deploy resilient and secure communication from routine operations to crisis situations. The parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding during the Techritory Forum in Riga.

The Port of Riga will serve as a real-world testing environment for new connectivity solutions designed to remain reliable in challenging conditions, where connectivity is a must for mission-critical operations. The partners will pilot technologies in real port operations, jointly pursue research and development projects, and explore how successful solutions could be commercialised and deployed in other European ports.

Ports and the maritime sector rely on real-time data exchange. A port fleet is more than vessels: it also includes infrastructure that has to keep working at all times. HARDMODE develops multi-technology communication solutions that keep sensors, people, vehicles, drones and other infrastructure elements connected even when no commercial network is available, but high stability is critical.

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.”

The Baltic Sea region has experienced repeated GNSS interference affecting shipping and port operations in recent years. Such incidents highlight the need for communications systems that do not depend on a single technology or infrastructure layer.

As a developer of dual-use connectivity solutions for defence, critical infrastructure, first responders and maritime environments, HARDMODE, together with LVR Flote, will research how different communication technologies, such as mobile, non-terrestrial, tactical and narrowband, can support port operations in a single joint ecosystem.

For LVR Flote, which provides technical port services and supports the maintenance and operation of infrastructure at the Port of Riga, the partnership allows testing technologies against real operational requirements. Potential applications include infrastructure monitoring, data management, navigation safety, maintenance, and other port services that will increasingly depend on reliable and resilient communication.

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 cooperation will extend beyond connectivity alone. The partners intend to create an open testing framework that can involve other technology companies whose products rely on secure communications. Those include developers of sensors, monitoring systems, automation technologies, and digital port services.

LVR Flote brings direct operational expertise and real service requirements, helping technology companies pilot new solutions for ports and the wider maritime sector in a real port environment and see how different systems work together. In return, LVR Flote gains access to solutions that could improve the efficiency, resilience and quality of port technical services.

This cooperation also opens a new chapter between the Netherlands and Latvia in the maritime sector. HARDMODE has roots in both Latvia and the Netherlands, which gives the partnership an international dimension. The partners intend to use the pilots in Riga as a basis for joint international R&D initiatives and potential pathways to scale successful pilots 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.”