The objective of the Lynceus project is to investigate and demonstrate ultra-low power wireless body-area-network technologies for enabling unobtrusive localisation and tracking of people for onboard and overboard search and rescue as well as for safe evacuation of ships during emergency. The Lynceus technology aims to revolutionise current emergency management and ship evacuation practice through the development of beyond the state-of-the-art real-time emergency management and safe evacuation systems which will significantly contribute towards early localisation and rescue of people in danger located onboard a ship or in the sea.The Lynceus novel technology will be transferred into the SME-driven market segments of smoke alarm/fire detection systems, lifesaving equipment, emergency management decision support systems and assistive search and rescue equipment. The proposed research will generate high societal and market impact for the European SMEs, and will enable major technological breakthroughs in the areas of ultra-low power wireless systems, wearable antennas, wireless and sensor electronics, digital signal processing and decision support systems.