Global topological reference framework for navigable space
Deep Frontiers – Mapping the Real Frontiers of Global Trade
Deep Frontiers is a scientific infrastructure for modelling, simulating and analysing global commodity circulation. It produces realistic simulated maritime routes through a continuous topological graph of navigable space in order to analyse the dependencies, vulnerabilities and reconfigurations that structure material globalisation.
Scientific infrastructure
Scientific Infrastructure at a Glance
Current state of the global topological reference framework developed as part of Deep Frontiers.
The current reference network connects 847 strategic ports selected among ≈ 3 700 facilities for global simulations. This resolution results from a methodological choice. The reference framework is scalable and designed to integrate several thousand additional ports or terminals when finer-grained analyses are required.
Scientific infrastructure dedicated to maritime modelling — road and rail network integration currently under development.
Scientific Challenge
From declared trade to simulated circulation
International trade data often describe exchange as country-to-country relations. Deep Frontiers shifts the focus toward the spatial conditions of circulation: ports, corridors, realistic simulated maritime routes, strategic chokepoints and logistics infrastructure.
Spatialising flows
The approach makes it possible to ask not only who trades with whom, but where commodities can circulate, where systems become vulnerable and how routes are reconfigured under constraint.
Identifying functional discontinuities
The decisive frontiers of globalisation also emerge from chokepoints, port interfaces, rerouting patterns under constraint and dependencies organizing critical commodity flows.
Technology
A global graph for simulating circulation
The core project is about a continuous topological graph of global navigable space. This reference framework currently includes about 24 million nodes and 1.4 billion edges. It is used to produce realistic simulated maritime routes, compare circulation states and analyse the effects of spatial constraints.
Scientific knowledge production chain
Deep Frontiers transforms declared trade data into spatial knowledge produced through graph-based numerical experiments.
Continuous graph
Representing the continuity of navigable space at a global/regional/local scale.
Simulated routes
Producing realistic simulated maritime routes to spatialise trade-flow circulations.
Constrained scenarios
Confronting a simulated nominal state with closure, tension or disruption scenarios.
Systemic effects
Identifying detours, rerouting patterns, vulnerabilities and spatial reconfigurations under constraint.
Scenarios
Simulating constraints, analysing reconfigurations
Closures, geopolitical tensions, environmental crises or logistical constraints can deeply impact global circulation. The Bab el-Mandeb case study compares two simulated situations: (a) routes using this strategic passage and (b) reconfigured routes during a blockade.
Each scenario works as a digital simulation of global circulation: constraints are introduced into the reference framework, routes are recalculated, and spatial/geo-economic reconfigurations are analyzed.
Scenario library
Deep Frontiers incrementally builds a scenario library including isolated strategic passages, combined disruptions, cascading perturbations and the emergence of new chokepoints. Some scenarios have already been computed; detailed analyses are currently being prepared for scientific publication.
Bab el-Mandeb — computed scenario
Panama corridor — computed scenario
Strategic chokepoints — ongoing
Combined disruptions — in preparation
Cascading perturbations — in preparation
Future port creation — in preparation
Comparison of simulated circulation before disruption and recomputed trajectories under a blockade scenario.
Both maps highlight the structuring role of Bab el-Mandeb as regards the continuity of flows between the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, as well as the systemic diversion effect. These scenarios illustrate the modelling and simulation capabilities of Deep Frontiers. The routes produced are designed to represent realistic maritime trajectories at global scale; however, they do not currently constitute a real-time operational routing service for maritime navigation.
Geo-economic outcomes for commodity flows
The closure of Bab el-Mandeb does not only generate local detours: it reveals new geo-economic polarities and dependency relations. By combining trade data with recalculated maritime routes, Deep Frontiers identifies the trade relations most sensitive to disruptions.
Matrix-based reading
The figures below illustrate the most exposed relations and the distribution of this vulnerability across geo-economic blocs.
Top exposed relations, affected trade versus extra distance, and the distribution of exposure across blocs.
Applications
Understanding dependency and vulnerability
Deep Frontiers offers new insights into the study of supply chains, energy dependencies, food-system vulnerabilities, and disruption effects within global circulation systems.
Research and modeling
Deep Frontiers is open to scientific collaborations with researchers, institutions, and partners interested in maritime networks, global connectivity, spatial modeling, and the analysis of complex systems. We welcome opportunities to exchange ideas, share expertise, develop joint research projects, and explore new applications of our methods and data.
Dialogue with maritime and logistics professionals
We welcome discussions with companies, insurers, reinsurers, logistics operators, port stakeholders, and consulting firms interested in exploring how scientific methods can support strategic analysis, risk assessment, resilience planning, and decision-making.
Application domains
geo-economics
geo-strategy
Supply-chain resilience
Critical infrastructure
Trade reconfiguration
Energy corridors
Food security
Critical raw materials
Port competition