The ORMOBASS project, launched under the EU 2021–2027 Programme Priority 'Water-smart societies', Objective 'Blue economy', aims to improve maritime navigation safety in the Baltic Sea by introducing a terrestrial R-Mode system. This alternative positioning system serves as a backup for Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), which are increasingly vulnerable to disruptions and deceptions in the region.

The Baltic Sea is a critical corridor for international maritime trade, with approximately 1500 ships navigating it at any given moment. These sea routes are vital for the modern 'just-in-time' economy, and their reliability is threatened by the growing risk of GNSS failures. The ORMOBASS project addresses this challenge by deploying an operational R-Mode positioning infrastructure. Additionally, onboard sensors will monitor the quality of GNSS signals, and a degradation monitoring system will inform mariners about potential threats.

ORMOBASS is implemented as a core project from November 2023 to October 2026 and contributes to the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR), particularly to the 'PA Safe' policy area. The project brings together 20 organizations from across the region and focuses on pilot activities, risk management, maritime security, and upscaling its solutions.

The total project budget is 3.61 Million Euro, of which 2.64 Million Euro are funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and 0.15 Million Euro comes from Norwegian funding. The project aims to deploy one operational solution and prepare one further for future implementation.