13-14 October 2026 - Ghent (Belgium)

European maritime–naval cooperation in an evolving security environment

The Annual Meeting of the European Maritime Academies, held on 13–14 October 2026 is hosted in Ghent hosted by the Royal Belgian Marine Society in cooperation with the Université Catholique de Louvain and the Maritime Institute of Ghent University.

On this occasion, a seminar will examine European maritime-naval cooperation in an evolving security environment, with particular attention to governance, technology, infrastructure protection, and strategic competition. It opens by considering the future of the maritime domain through AI, autonomy, AI-enabled navigation, and sensors. It then turns to the European Union’s role in global maritime governance, especially in relation to the High Seas Treaty negotiations. 

A second thematic strand focuses on the protection of critical underwater infrastructure, a growing concern in an era of geopolitical rivalry and hybrid threats. The programme also draws lessons from US logistics in the Pacific in the context of a possible conflict with China, linking these insights to infrastructure resilience and the shadow fleet. 

In order to prepare the second day, a flagship lecture will addresse geopolitical problems and solutions in European waters. 

This second day shifts towards maritime security strategy, including Belgium’s movement from “sea blindness” towards a more explicit maritime strategy. It also considers changing safety dynamics in the North Sea and the positioning of policy, commercial, and enforcement actors. 

Overall, the seminar will frame maritime security as a multidimensional European challenge, requiring technological adaptation, legal and institutional coordination, infrastructure protection, and renewed strategic awareness.