Project description: The purpose of FREESUBNET is to provide a European-wide excellence in quality training to young and experienced researchers in the emerging field of Cooperative Autonomous Intervention Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), which are steadily becoming the tool par excellence to carry out missions at sea without tight human supervision. In the scope of the network, an intersectorial consortium (HE, RES, and IND) with expertise in different but complimentary disciplines (engineering, marine science, physics and informatics) is carrying out outstanding research in the context of four strategic application fields (underwater archaeology, maritime security, marine science and energy assessment). The network aims to establish a bridge between academia and industry and to promote the integration of a number of research groups throughout Europe.