UM researchers join discussions at the SENSEI consortium meeting in Rome

Two UM researchers, Dr Matthew Agius and Mr Daniele Caruana, participated in the second consortium meeting for the SENSEI project held at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) headquarters in Rome on 12-13 November 2025.

Project SENSEI (Smart European Networks for Sensing the Environment and Internet quality) aims to develop devices and technologies that transform the global telecommunication fibre network into a pervasive distributed sensor, making the network more resilient and efficient.

During the meeting, participants had the opportunity to visit the INGV seismic control room, the national hub for real-time seismic surveillance, and visit the headquarters for the Italian research and education network, GARR (Gruppo per l'Armonizzazione delle Reti della Ricerca), the consortium that manages Italy's high-performance research and education network.

The meeting consisted of discussions and a detailed review of the project's progress after the first operational year. A substantial part was dedicated to developing analysis techniques for diverse geophysical signatures and their potential to improve detection and early-warning applications. Partners explored the use of AI and other advanced filtering methods, as well as their implementation in real-world scenarios. The meeting also reviewed progress in photonics and measurement techniques, integration with telecommunication infrastructure, and included an important discussion on the standardisation of measurements for seismological use.

SENSEI is a project funded by Horizon Europe aimed at turning existing fibre-optic communication networks into distributed sensors capable of detecting environmental and geophysical signals, to improve monitoring, early warning and scientific research across Europe.