ABSTRACT: The technological contributions to the reduction of piracy not only involve implementations of recent technological advances, but, importantly, the dissemination of the education required to apply current and future technologies, particularly in those states in the regions where piracy is rampant. To this end, the EU?s MARSIC project, with the stated aim of enhancing security and safety in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean through ?..information sharing and capacity building, (and) highlighting regional cooperation? (Marsic 1st monitoring report, 2010) has recently been inaugurated. The Faculty of Maritime Studies and Transport of the University of Ljubljana, and the Maritime University of Szczecin, as partners in this project, will bring to bear both the most advanced technological applications to maritime affairs of satellite imagery, simulation, and risk assessment, and guarantee their utility through the transfer of knowledge. In Yemen and Djibouti, maritime stations will be established, personnel trained, and a sustainable level of expertise eventually left in place. Interest in such projects has also been expressed by maritime experts in Tanzania and Kenya. The advantage this approach has over other donor-supported solutions begins with regional involvement and an inclusive approach, its ultimate success to a large degree dependant on factors external to the project such as financial incentives for the nations of the region to protect European and Far East Asian shipping. The project is closely coordinated with a parallel EU-funded project executed by European Commission?s Joint Research Centre (JRC) on maritime surveillance technologies application in the region.

KEYWORDS: Safety at Sea, Maritime Security, Piracy, Gulf of Aden, Piracy Problem, Piracy Attack, MARSIC, Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA)

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