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Objectives
SAVIAN, in its current scope, is a study assessing potential satellite communication solutions based on VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) technologies for providing reliable, affordable digital communication to Arctic waters, meeting growing maritime traffic in these high-latitude regions where both Danish and Canadian stakeholders share an interest in reliable connectivity.
The project examines how the satellite component of VDES, referred to as VDE-SAT, can extend safety-related and operational data communication services to vessels operating in the Arctic. The project establishes and consolidates the needs of the Danish and Canadian maritime authorities, users and other stakeholders, defines the associated service requirements, and develops a candidate system architecture for Arctic VDES coverage.
Alongside the technical work, SAVIAN assesses also the commercial and operational feasibility of such an infrastructure, including target markets, business models and the path towards a sustainable service. The outcome provides a consolidated technical and business foundation on which a future Arctic VDES service can be built, supporting maritime safety, environmental protection and efficient vessels operations in one of the most demanding maritime communication environments on Earth.
Benefits
A satellite-based VDES infrastructure can give Arctic maritime users something they currently lack: dependable two-way digital communication that does not rely on terrestrial towers or on geostationary satellites inaccessible at high latitudes. Unlike proprietary or regionally constrained solutions, VDE-SAT is based on the internationally standardised VDES framework, enabling a competitive multi-supplier ecosystem, greater interoperability, and cost efficiencies derived from a larger global market.
For ship operators and authorities, the benefits include improved maritime safety, better situational awareness, and support for operational and environmental data exchange in waters where connectivity has been unreliable or unavailable.
Because the concept builds on VDES standards already endorsed by the IMO and IALA, it integrates seamlessly into the wider e-navigation landscape rather than creating an isolated island of technology. The result is a coverage layer purpose-built for polar operations, complementing rather than duplicating current AIS and satellite communication services, and giving stakeholders a credible route to Arctic connectivity that scales with growing traffic and regulatory demand.
Features
SAVIAN aims to deliver a consolidated technical and commercial description of an Arctic VDES capability. Its core components include a documented set of user and stakeholder needs, a service and system requirements baseline, and a candidate system architecture covering the space segment, ground segment and user terminals needed for VDE-SAT operation at high latitudes.
The technical work characterises the Arctic operating environment, including link and propagation conditions, and translates these into feasible design assumptions for the satellite VDES payload and constellation concept. On the commercial side, the activity provides a market and business assessment, identifying target user groups, service models and the economics of an Arctic VDES offering.
Together these features form a coherent feasibility package: a technically grounded architecture aligned with VDES standards, supported by a realistic view of demand and business viability. This gives ESA and the consortium a solid basis for deciding on subsequent development, demonstration and eventual operational deployment of Arctic satellite VDES services.
Challenges
Arctic environmental and operational conditions push communication systems to their limits. At high latitudes, geostationary satellites are often not in line of sight, as they appear very low on or below the horizon. Terrestrial VDES coverage, limited by the scarcity of shore-based radio stations, is effectively unavailable. The remoteness of the region makes safety and emergency communications particularly critical. The project must reconcile demanding link budgets and propagation conditions with realistic user needs and a viable commercial case. It also must define an architecture that is technically sound, compliant with the VDES standard, and attractive enough to justify future investment in Arctic-bound space infrastructure.
System Architecture
The system architecture leverages on VDE-SAT, the satellite component of the VHF Data Exchange System (VDES). At the core sits a space segment of VDES-capable satellites providing coverage over Arctic waters, complemented by a ground segment for network operations, data handling and connection to shore-based users and maritime authorities. Onboard vessels, VDES-capable user terminals exchange data with the satellites, extending the reach of standard VDES services into regions without terrestrial coverage.
The architecture reflects the specific demands of high-latitude maritime operation, where satellite geometry, link budgets and propagation drive key design choices. It aligns with the VDES standards defined by the ITU, IMO and IALA, ensuring interoperability with the broader maritime communication and e-navigation ecosystem. The study consolidates these elements into a coherent end-to-end concept spanning space segment, ground segment and user terminals, providing the reference architecture against which technical feasibility and service performance for Arctic VDES coverage are assessed.
Plan
SAVIAN is a system study organised around a set of work packages covering user needs, service and system requirements, system architecture, and business and market analysis, consolidated into the project’s technical and commercial baseline.
The three key milestones are the Kick-off (August 2026), the Mid-Term Review (November 2026) and the Final Review (February 2027), at which the consolidated results and final documentation are delivered to ESA and the activity is completed
Current Status
The project has entered its execution phase. Work on user needs, requirements and the initial system architecture is underway.
