Sofia, Bulgaria, May 8th, 2025 – Wiser Technology (BUL:WISR) partners in two winning European Defence Fund (EDF) consortia selected under the 2024 call. Both projects are 100% financed by the EDF and have a total budget exceeding €33 million. ASTERION is focused on delivering a universal system enabling secure and adaptable underwater communication between and within devices. MARTINA is dedicated to creating a framework to test the accuracy and reliability of AI for satellite image analysis.
ASTERION (Adaptive and Secure Technology-Enabling Reliable and Integrated Opto-acoustic underwater Networking) is a 36‑month action coordinated by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), bringing together 19 organizations – nearly half of them research institutes. The project aims to design a flexible and secure underwater communication system that seamlessly connects devices and networks, enhancing interoperability in maritime defense operations.
Wiser contributes specialized algorithms and protocol expertise in ultrasonics for underwater communication. The team has previously delivered system‑of‑systems requirements, detailed software, and hardware design for the CUIIS underwater‑technologies project financed under the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP). According to Toshko Punchev, Head of Defense Solutions at Wiser Technology, the company was recommended by another consortium partner – one of the world’s largest shipbuilders – because of its valuable combination of deep military standards know‑how and hands‑on applied expertise demonstrated in the CUIIS project.
The ASTERION consortium has to develop a versatile underwater communication system that uses acoustic, optical, electromagnetic, and above-water channels (radio and internet) to connect devices both below and above water, supporting various data speeds and formats. “It sounds straightforward on paper, yet the variability of seawater causes refraction and interference that must be detected, filtered, and mitigated,” Punchev explained. “ASTERION will be a demanding project, but our team has the discipline and experience to deliver it.”
Running in parallel, the 48‑month MARTINA (Multi-source satellite imagery ARTificial INtelligence Analysis challenge) action aims to create a standardized framework to evaluate how effectively AI analyzes diverse satellite images for defense purposes, ensuring accuracy and reliability. The project is coordinated by the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and includes partners like Fraunhofer, DLR, ICEYE, SatCen, Hisdesat, and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology.
Wiser Technology will be responsible for developing the software infrastructure for the consortium, including user identity and Access Management portal for participant interaction and evaluation, as well as a robust front end for intuitive access and a scalable back end to support data handling, workflow management, and result submission. In addition, the company will contribute its expertise in analyzing road infrastructure through dataset preparation, evaluation frameworks, and AI lifecycle development, all building on the company’s prior European Space Agency (ESA) work in AI-driven image analytics for critical infrastructure analysis and road safety.
“The MARTINA project is an excellent example of how Wiser Technology creates synergy from its ESA experience and commercial expertise in building state-of-the-art solutions for the European defense needs.“
These new assignments continue Wiser’s growing track record in European defense innovation, following over a dozen EDIDP, EDF, and NATO projects. Across all of them, Wiser applies established military standards for software development throughout its full lifecycle—processes, milestones, and documentation—and maintains specialized licenses for requirements traceability and design modelling. This disciplined toolchain delivers the unified engineering approach that European ministries of defense increasingly require.
About European Defence Fund
The European Defence Fund (EDF) is a flagship initiative by the European Union aimed at enhancing defense collaboration among Member States. With a budget of nearly €8 billion for the 2021–2027 period, the EDF supports joint research and development projects that foster innovation and improve interoperability in defense technologies and equipment. By providing financial assistance throughout the entire lifecycle of defense products—from research and design to prototyping, testing, and certification—the fund seeks to strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy and bolster the competitiveness of its defense industry.