Case Study: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences achieves next-generation ecological research on Stora Karlsö with Milestone Systems XProtect

Milestone open platform video tech powers next-generation ecological research on remote Baltic island

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) needed a way to capture continuous, high-resolution ecological data on remote Stora Karlsö, where manual observation was missing short-lived events and the island’s harsh conditions, limited power, and lack of wired internet made traditional systems impractical. SLU turned to Milestone Systems’ XProtect open platform video management software to support research on seabirds, climate impacts, and ecosystem change.

Milestone Systems, working with Prudencia Security, implemented an integrated monitoring platform using XProtect, Axis IP cameras, thermal imaging, microphones, and custom infrastructure for power and remote access. The solution now lets researchers review events retrospectively, detect predator activity and chick mortality, correlate behavior with microclimate data, and feed video into AI models; the system also archives one-hour video files for offline training, creating a scalable research tool that delivers real-time insight and measurable scientific value.

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Robert Holmström

Prudencia Security