Website: https://flexicross-project.eu/

The FLEXI-cross project aims to increased security and reliability of EU border checks for people and goods, while enhancing and improving the border management capabilities, through the development, deployment and validation of a toolkit of innovative border-checking solutions, in real operational environments, addressing road, rail and port borders. The resulting flexibility and dynamicity of border check planning will offer novel capabilities such as dynamic deployment of check-points and support via mobile applications for border personnel, while guaranteeing high level of security, privacy of personal data and protection of people’s fundamental rights.

Results:

• Anti-trafficking and anti-smuggling protection via predictive risk assessment of vehicle and people.
• Enhanced border security through portable biometric based checks.
• Secure person verification through real-time multi-source cross-referencing.
• Flexible, fast and cost-effective deployment of ad-hoc Border Check Points (BCP).
• Secure, private and traceable sensitive / personal data exchange based on blockchain technology.
• Increased safety and improved experience for border-personnel based on advanced Human Machine Interfaces and enhanced situational awareness via Augmented Reality (AR).

Website: https://iseamore-project.eu/

I-SEAMORE is a Horizon Europe funded project that aims to develop an integrated Ecosystem composed of an advanced platform solution to host and manage the operation of several innovative assets, services and systems aimed at providing European Authorities with increased situational awareness and operational capabilities for Maritime surveillance operations.

The I-SEAMORE platform will provide end-users with a holistic solution capable of handling several multipurpose tasks, including, e.g., wide maritime border and coastal areas monitoring, analysis of potential threats, support to search and rescue operations, detection of illegal activities, among others.

Project reference: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement 101073911.

Duration: 30 Months

The pilot actions have been done with the great support of our border guards. METICOS system showcased both in real life and in artificial environment. For the real-life evaluation, an eye-tracking system was used to detect the glances and focus of the wearer when approaching an Automated Border Control (ABC) gate. This approach aimed to understand passenger orientation and recognition of displayed information at the gates. For the border guards, it was investigated how often they look at the METICOS dashboard and which specific areas of the dashboard they focused on. For the artificial environment, METICOS used a Virtual Reality (VR) system where the pilot area was recreated with an ABC gate based on face recognition. This mock-up study should allow a standardised setup to check the orientation and impression of a potential ABC technology. The METICOS system was integrated as a website with the relevant dashboard. Each of the pilots took about 3-4 hours at each pilot site and with 18-22 subjects. The data is currently evaluated, and the results will support the final development of the METICOS system in terms of usability and visualisation of data. Finally, there will be a pilot in Vienna, Austria, to receive results from the final prototype. This will be done in August 2023.

The first analysis shows already that the work of border guards at the gates is devoted to their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It was also revealed that providing an additional dashboard may not be the optimal solution for utilising a system like METICOS. Meanwhile, the pilots will gather more data on the passenger side, while the final prototype evaluation will be done with the middle management of border controls in shift planning and staffing for the border control points. By doing so, METICOS will improve the impact of automated data analysis for border guards and provide support to border control management.

Responsible partner of the METICOS consortium: Johanniter Österreich Ausbildung und Forschung gemeinnützige GmbH

Website: https://melchior-project.eu/

MELCHIOR is an EU-funded Coordination and Support Action project which aims to improve substantially a novel technology for fast detection of drugs, explosives, weapons and illicit goods concealed on individuals and in critical cavities of the human body based on infrasound mechanical impedance interrogation, optionally complemented with other harmless and non-contact technologies. This project aims to drastically increase the safety of the border staff having to touch inspected individuals. Thus, travelers’ experience will improve greatly. Since no contact is needed, individuals do not have to undress and therefore their privacy is respected.

The MELCHIOR solution aims to be used in operational environments including border controls in airports and sea-ports and land borders as well as other environments where the technology would be quite useful like crowded events and prisons.

A key goal of the METICOS project is the design and development of METICOS interfaces with border and customs information systems and other third-party sources. In particular, this task involves establishing the interface that would help the METICOS project gain access to information from BCP authorities and other third-party flight-airport data that would serve as the input for further processes operated within the METICOS platform.

Two of the main concerns for the proper evaluation of the above were:

1. Find the data sources from which data could be transferred to the project without compromising any personal data and giving useful information to the partners.
2. Work on the way external data sources would be connected to the project, that is the interface, technically speaking.

Concerning the data sources, below is presented a list including external sources from which data imported and provided to the METICOS platform:

• Greek Border Control Police authorities
• Cypriot Border Control Police authorities
• Estonian Border Control Police authorities
• External third-party source API
• METICOS Travellers’ Questionnaire created by METICOS partners

On the one hand, there are the Border control police authorities that provide the METICOS project with data from their own databases, concerning mainly statistics about the provenance of the passengers and about the usage of automated border control machines that are in use in the airports in question. On the other hand, there are data coming from an external third-party source concerning flight delays that are coupled with the METICOS Travelers’ Questionnaire in order to enrich and correlate them with the other data obtained.

The interface with the different information systems of the respective police of each airport had to be done in a way avoiding direct connection with their systems. For that reason, an ad-hoc interface had been developed through which, police officers directly upload datasets that include information cleared from any personal data and partners of the METICOS project can access data through this interface, by filtering input coming from the different police participating in the project.

Transfers of data are done based on the REST Architecture and the exchanged data format most used in REST architecture is the JSON format. JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) is a lightweight data-interchange format that is readable and easily parsed by machines. It is built on the popular JavaScript programming language, which is ubiquitous on the web and usable on both the front- and back-end of a web app or service.

This interface is directly connected with a user-friendly User Interface, responsive on all kinds of devices, thanks to which police officers can upload and manage data and also extract statistics that can lead to important conclusions.

In what concerns the third-party source of data, the transfer of data is done using API calls. An API request is implemented to the so-called third-party service, via the METICOS Middleware, that provides the METICOS platform with data regarding delay time at the airport of origin as well as the destination airport based on a specific flight number.

All in all, the METICOS platform receives input from external sources (BCPs, third-party sources) through a secure exchanging mode as well as a user-friendly and intuitive interface. These data constitute a very important part of the input given to the METICOS platform, in order for the end-users to be able to take more informed decisions.

Responsible partner of the METICOS consortium: NetU Consultants Ltd

The RISE-SD 2023  is an international EU Research and Innovation event in the field of Disaster and crisis management, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Border Security and Defence Research. It serves as a platform for high-level representatives, researchers, industry professionals, practitioners, and European security and defence stakeholders to exchange ideas, present results, and participate in live demonstrations of technological solutions. With a strong emphasis on enhancing security and resilience, RISE-SD 2023 aims to foster collaboration, advance innovation, and strengthen the protection of the EU and its citizens.

This premier event has provided an excellent platform for industry thought-leadership, networking, and collaborative innovation. METICOS’s engagement in this conference has allowed us to contribute our expertise and learn from fellow professionals, furthering our commitment to advancing security and technology solutions.

We also had the honour of presenting the BES Cluster and our paper titled “Best practices for creating and maintaining Clusters of EU Funded Projects,” representing all the members of the BES Cluster.

Participating in RISE-SD 2023 provided METICOS with invaluable opportunities to connect with industry peers, experts, and stakeholders from diverse sectors. The conference emphasised collaborative innovation, highlighting the potential of interdisciplinary cooperation to address complex challenges and drive positive change in the security domain.

The sense of c

ommunity and shared enthusiasm experienced at RISE-SD 2023 served as a powerful reminder of the immense potential that lies within collaborative efforts. The METICOS project was inspired by the collective passion and dedication displayed by industry peers, experts, and stakeholders from various sectors. It reinforced our belief in the value of collaboration as a catalyst for driving positive change and fostering innovative solutions in the field of security.

The video below was used as communication material in RISE-SD 2023

The audience of RISE-SD 2023 will include high-level representatives of the E.U., governmental representatives, researchers, industry, practitioners, and European security and defence stakeholders. The organisational plan includes the publication of peer-reviewed papers related to presentations, an exhibition of technological solutions, and live demonstrations of relevant projects and their outcomes.

As part of the project’s participation in the conference, a joint publication representing all BES members is being formulated, sharing knowledge on the successful establishment and exploitation potential of the developed solutions.

In conclusion, METICOS’ participation in the RISE-SD will promote the BES Cluster as well as the role and exploitation potential of METICOS technological solutions and the interconnection with the technologies developed by the other BES Cluster members.

See you at RISE-SD 2023!

On May 9^th, 2023, the third pilot use case on Border Line Validation for the METICOS solution has taken place in Cyprus. The testing was conducted at Larnaca International Airport at the airport’s existing no-gate infrastructure, with the participation of 20 Cadet volunteers acting as travellers.

The main aim of the pilot was to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of border control procedures under real operating conditions using the no-gate solution. The smart border control process was evaluated at various stages, such as document checks, identity verification, and biometric screening. The pilot focused on measuring the enrollment process, border crossing procedures, and the performance of the border and customs authorities. Furthermore, the introduced processes were evaluated for user acceptance, the quality of border control procedures, verification performance, and process duration.

Moreover, the acceptability of the no-gate crossing technology from the viewpoint of the travelers was assessed. A questionnaire was administered to gather data for modeling technology and societal acceptance. Participants were given the opportunity to provide their feedback on the implemented processes through the METICOS platform by scanning a QR code. This feedback will be utilized to improve and optimize the METICOS solution, making it more efficient and acceptable for all stakeholders.

More information on the results of the pilot will be shared soon.

The METICOS Dashboard is a crucial component of the METICOS architecture platform that enables the administration and management of modern border control activities. It serves as a user-friendly interface that allows authorised users to access valuable resources. The METICOS front end offers a comprehensive and seamless experience, which is supported by the METICOS middleware, another essential component of the METICOS ecosystem. The middleware serves as the backbone for all internal and external communications, responsible for retrieving, sharing, and managing a vast amount of information stored in the METICOS database. Furthermore, it provides appropriate API endpoints that authorised users and services can access for specific resources. The entire infrastructure is secured and protected by Keycloak, a state-of-the-art open-source Identity and Access Management (IAM) tool that offers both authentication and authorisation capabilities.

The success of the METICOS project heavily relies on data collection, which is why multiple data sources have been utilised to gather a plethora of information. The primary data source is the BCP authorities, who use the METICOS Dashboard Admin panel to upload and manage all available BCP data into the METICOS database. Additionally, the METICOS Middleware connects to third-party data providers to enrich and enhance the METICOS datasets with even more useful information. Feedback obtained from METICOS pilots is also highly valuable as it depicts the overall experience of travellers interacting with modern border control technology. To gather such feedback, the METICOS team has developed and integrated web questionnaires into the METICOS platform. All these diverse data sources offer a great variety of information that the METICOS technical team can leverage to improve the current AI predictive models and enhance the data analysis procedure. This produces great outcomes and helps authorities view real-time statistics and identify potential risks.

The METICOS system employs various open-source technologies to enable seamless interaction between its standalone components. The technical implementation involves using Spring Boot, a Java-based framework, to develop middleware, which facilitates the building of RESTful microservices. To create the METICOS Dashboard, the team opted for Vue.js, a popular open-source progressive Javascript framework, well-suited for modern web application development. React PWA, on the other hand, was used to build the METICOS web questionnaires, ensuring users get a reliable, responsive, and native-like experience. To present the data analysis results in an interactive and engaging manner, the team leveraged Flask web framework to create charts and graphs. All these components operate on a Kubernetes cluster and communicate with each other via a RESTful microservices architecture.

Overall, METICOS’ primary objective is to establish a dynamic, scalable, and resilient ecosystem that facilitates seamless interaction between authorities and travellers on a secure platform, while effectively monitoring and predicting the social impact and acceptability of modern border control technology.

Responsible partner of the METICOS Consortium: MAGGIOLI Group

On April 27th, 2023, the second pilot use case on Border Line Validation for the METICOS solution has taken place in Greece. The testing was conducted at Athens International Airport at the airport’s existing no-gate infrastructure, with the participation of volunteers acting as potential travellers.

The primary objective of the pilot was to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the border control processes using the no-gate solution in real operating conditions. During the pilot, several stages of the smart border control process were evaluated, including document checks, identity verification, and biometric screening. The focus was on live measurement enrollment, border crossing procedures, and the performance of the border and customs authorities. Additionally, user acceptance of the introduced processes was evaluated, as well as the quality of the border control procedures, the verification performance, and the duration of the processes.

Additionally, the social acceptance of the no-gate crossing technology from the travellers’ perspective was evaluated. To obtain the required data for technology and societal acceptance modelling, a questionnaire was conducted, which allowed participants to provide their feedback on the introduced processes. Participants were able to access the questionnaires through the METICOS platform by scanning a QR code. This information will be used to further develop and enhance the METICOS solution, making it more effective and acceptable for all stakeholders involved.

More information on the results of the pilot will be shared soon.

Stay tuned for updates.