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Revolutionizing Border Surveillance at the Nicosia Risk Forum 2024

The Nicosia Risk Forum 2024 (#NRF2024), held from December 4th to 6th, served as a key platform for addressing regional safety and security challenges. Organized by CERIDES of the European University Cyprus and the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus, and under the auspices of His Excellency the President of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, the forum brought together stakeholders to strengthen disaster resilience in the Mediterranean.

At the event, SKYLD LTD presented the EURMARS project, a transformative initiative aimed at improving border surveillance in Europe’s maritime and coastal environments. EURMARS focuses on developing and validating a 24/7 surveillance platform designed to enhance multi-authority cooperation, integrate diverse data sources, and leverage cutting-edge technologies, including UAVs, satellite imagery, and ground-based sensors.

Key innovations include advanced AI-based analytics, data fusion capabilities to improve detection accuracy, and a cyber-secure platform with enhanced decision-making tools. The project also emphasizes user acceptability, ethical compliance, and rapid market deployment upon completion.

EURMARS represents a critical step in fortifying Europe’s external borders, aligning with NRF 2024’s commitment to fostering safety and security across the Mediterranean.

We are thrilled to announce that the EURMARS Project is now a proud participant in the DETECTION HUB initiative!

What is DETECTION HUB?

DETECTION HUB is a groundbreaking collaborative effort uniting several EU-funded projects. Together, we aim to advance the detection of drugs, explosives, weapons, and other illicit goods through shared knowledge, joint events, and specialized workshops

How Does EURMARS Contribute?

As part of DETECTION HUB, EURMARS is revolutionizing border security in Europe by improving cooperation and efficiency among various authorities. ur advanced surveillance platform leverages cutting-edge technologies like AI and real-time visualization to strengthen the EU’s maritime border protection.

By enhancing maritime border protection, we’re creating a safer, more secure Europe—working hand in hand with our DETECTION HUB partners.

Together, we are paving the way for a coordinated and secure European maritime space. Stay tuned for updates on our joint initiatives!

The EURMARS Project team was proud to participate in the Research and Innovation Symposium for European Security (RISE-SD 2024), held on October 16-17, 2024, in Chalkidiki, Greece. This event brought together top experts and stakeholders in key areas such as:

• Fighting Crime and Terrorism
• Disaster and Crisis Management
• Critical Infrastructure Protection
• Cybersecurity
• Border Management Research

Sharing Our Vision at RISE-SD

During our presentation, we introduced attendees to the vision, objectives, and expected outcomes of EURMARS. Key highlights included:

• An overview of the EURMARS platform and its cutting-edge technologies.
• Insight into our pilot use cases that aim to enhance border security across Europe.

Engaging with Attendees

At the EURMARS project booth, visitors explored detailed dissemination materials, providing a comprehensive look into the project’s progress and potential. Attendees gained valuable insights into how EURMARS is driving cooperation and efficiency among European multi-authority border security efforts.

Building Connections

RISE-SD 2024 provided an excellent platform to connect with co-organizing projects, leading experts, and key stakeholders. Engaging in these conversations enriched our understanding and furthered our commitment to contributing to a safer and more secure Europe.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who visited our booth and shared their valuable perspectives. Your insights are instrumental in shaping the future of the EURMARS Project. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue our mission to revolutionize European maritime border security.

We are halfway there! And there is still some important work to be done!

The EURMARS Project has reached a significant milestone with the successful completion of our first review event, marking a pivotal transition into the next phase of our journey. The review event took place in Brussels on 28th of May and provided our partners with the opportunity to meet in person, present the goals achieved while allowing for effective discussions and deliberating on the next steps and future developments based on the feedback received.

The insights and feedback gathered from this review event have already begun to catalyse the activities for the upcoming piloting activites. Our team is more energised and committed than ever to push the boundaries of what is possible in our field. As we move into the second half of our journey, we are focused on enhancing our designs, refining operational workflows, and further developing the EURMARS platform.

With the successful conclusion of our Living Labs workshop, we consider opportune to reflect on the progress and collaboration achieved over the past few days. Held between April 15th and April 19th in Varna, Bulgaria, the Living Labs workshop provided an ideal setting for immersive collaboration and experimentation. From setting up the required infrastructure to conducting valuable exercises based on the established use cases, the whole process has demonstrated our commitment to advancing border management and surveillance through innovation and teamwork.

Here’s a summary of the key highlights from our workshop:

• We kicked off the workshop with the equipment setup and integration of all components of the EURMARS platform. This crucial groundwork laid the foundation for the days ahead, ensuring that we were ready to deliver the planned testing scenarios.

• With our Living Labs fully operational, we engaged in a series of exercises focused on real-time vessel activity. Leveraging a multi-sensor approach, including vessel tracking data, ground-based cameras, UAV cameras, and high-resolution satellite imagery, we collected comprehensive data to enhance border management through the EURMARS digital platform.

Throughout the workshop, collaboration among our consortium partners has been at the heart of our success. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the valuable contributions and collaborative spirit of our whole team. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the partners of the EURMARS Consortium for their invaluable participation and unwavering support, which has been instrumental in the success of the Living Labs workshop.

The culmination of this workshop signifies a significant milestone, empowering the EURMARS digital platform with the capability to analyse and visualise data for available sensors, and demonstrating enhanced situation awareness and efficiency in identifying events of interest. Stay tuned for further updates as we persist in harnessing technology and collaboration to elevate standards across the border management domain.

On the 19th of February, the EURMARS project was showcased at the CERIS Workshop on Innovation for Maritime Situational Awareness and Security. The workshop provided a comprehensive overview of European research and innovative solutions, discussing further capability needs relevant for maritime border surveillance, search and rescue at sea, and maritime safety and security. Close to 15 European research projects presented their novel technological solutions to practitioners, policymakers, and fellow innovators alongside EURMARS.

This thematic CERIS Workshop aimed to present and discuss European research and innovative solutions, as well as further capability needs relevant to maritime situational awareness and security. The interested audience included practitioners, especially Coast Guards, as well as innovators and policymakers interested in capabilities such as search-and-rescue at sea, sea border surveillance, and other maritime security and safety functions.

The Workshop brought together updates on EU-funded projects featuring innovative European technologies in the field, from autonomous platforms to data fusion; presented experiences and opportunities for cooperative and integrated information management; and discussed how research results could be more efficiently exploited.

The EURMARS Project’s second plenary meeting took place in Cyprus on October 12 and 13, 2023, offering a valuable occasion for consortium members to meet in person and examine the developments achieved since the last plenary session. Throughout the two-day meeting, an in-depth review of progress within each Work Package and the associated milestones was undertaken.

Participants offered detailed insights into the tasks they lead and the performed and planned activities for each of the tasks.

The 1st Living Lab Workshop took place in Varna, Bulgaria from September 25th to 29th, 2023. It was structured around technical preparations and testing scenarios. On the first day, participants focused on registrations and technical familiarisation. The subsequent days were dedicated to technical briefings, and extensive technical preparations, including presentations from partners. Testing and scenario executions were conducted on the final days, with comprehensive data collection and rehearsals.

The event concluded with closing remarks, an after-action review, and wrap-up sessions before participants departed. Throughout the workshop, collaborative technical work, scenario rehearsals, and valuable discussions among attendees fostered a dynamic and productive environment, advancing our shared objectives in border management and surveillance innovation.

SKYLD LTD as a representative of the EURMARS Project at the iProcureNet Workshop had the chance to present the solution that will be developed during EURMARS project that could be of interest to the security sector.

During its annual meeting, the iProcureNet General Assembly organized a workshop that brought together a diverse range of participants, including internal and external stakeholders, as well as experts. The workshop took place in Nicosia, Cyprus on 11th – 12th of September and was convened to facilitate discussions centered on the research and solutions developed within the framework of addressing the innovation needs for the JCBPP (Joint Capability Building and Procurement Planning) project.

In addition to the esteemed members of the iProcureNet General Assembly and project stakeholders, the workshop extended its invitation to various groups:

• Representatives from H2020/Horizon Europe projects.
• Providers of innovative solutions.
• Experts in the field of procurement.

This workshop provided a platform for participants to exchange valuable insights pertaining to cutting-edge technologies and advancements within specific domains that the iProcureNet project has identified as particularly promising for the JCBPP initiative. These domains encompass:

• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
• Border management solutions.
• Data fusion techniques.
• Mitigation strategies for wildfires.

Attendees had the opportunity to discuss not only the state of the art in these areas but also to explore the solutions that have been developed within other innovative projects.

We are delighted to share that the recent Projects to Policy Seminar that was held in Brussels on June 14 and 15, 2023, provided an invaluable platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange between newly launched projects and policy DGs. Organized by DG HOME and REA, the seminar facilitated engagement, fostering alignment between research efforts and policy priorities. Participants were grouped into four thematic areas, enabling focused discussions and enhancing the impact of the seminar. The four thematic areas where:

• Fighting crime and terrorism & Infrastructure (FCT/INFRA)
• Strengthened Security Research and Innovation (SSRI)
• Disaster-resilient societies (DRS),
• Border management (BM)

The aim was to raise awareness among the relevant policy DGs on the new projects that have been launched, as well as to provide guidance to these new projects regarding the policy-related outputs the policy DGs are interested in.

The EURMARS team was excited to share its progress, exchange knowledge, and receive guidance from policy experts during the seminar’s plenary sessions and thematic breakout discussions.

It provided a great opportunity for the EURMARS project to showcase its ground-breaking vision and present its innovative solutions for improving situational awareness and operational efficiency in border management.