Artificial Intelligence will identify solid and liquid waste in the Port of Santos

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) system will manage and monitor waste in the estuary. The aim is to standardize the identification, classification, and monitoring of waste (Archive/AT)

Solid and liquid waste will be detected and monitored through artificial intelligence (AI) in the Port of Santos channel, the Bertioga Channel, and the Cubatão River starting next year. The technological device is being developed by the startup DataOverSeas, and the first tests are expected to occur in the first quarter.

DataOverSeas won the 1st ESG Challenge 2024, proposing an innovative solution for monitoring and identifying waste in the estuary. The technological competition was organized by the Santos Port Authority (APS) in partnership with the Santos Technological Park Foundation at the end of July.

To develop the system, the startup received a 12-month incubation grant worth R\$ 36,000 at the Technological Park and established a CNPJ (National Registry of Legal Entities). The prize was provided by the APS, which will have the rights to use this solution, while the group will retain intellectual property and commercialization rights.

In a statement, the APS explained that the proposal is for “waste management and monitoring using Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the Port of Santos. In simplified terms, the idea is to standardize the identification, classification, and monitoring of waste, using progressive machine learning algorithms (smart data systems), which will make waste management increasingly accurate and efficient. Once developed, the solution could be used not only at the Port of Santos but at any port terminal worldwide.”

Renato Marcio dos Santos, co-founder of DataOverSeas, stated that the prototype is expected to be completed by March 2025, after which testing will begin. “We will collect data and send reports to the APS to facilitate the management and publication of situations involving waste”, he said.

Santos noted that “the application will be used by the port community, including terminals, the APS, and all those who have a direct interest in the product,” emphasizing that it is “a pioneering project. There is nothing like it at any port in the world.”

Eduardo Bittencourt, president of the Technological Park Foundation, stated that the institution provides “incubation structure” for the startup. “In addition to offering meeting rooms, coworking spaces, and an auditorium, we have a network of specialists who assist with day-to-day questions and market opportunities, counting on partners like Sebrae, for example. The goal is to shorten learning curves to avoid early-stage entrepreneurial mistakes.”

Bittencourt mentioned that the Technological Park has “32 resident startups, six of which focus on the blue economy (solutions for the sea, ports, and ecological tourism).”

Regarding the Port-City relationship, Bittencourt highlighted that the Port Authority has been facilitating the connection between the Technological Park and startups with port companies, “which are focused on solving daily operational problems.”