The surveillance of external borders is one of the essential components of border control in the EU. Border surveillance activities take place in wide border areas and present a variety of challenges like:
- How to detect and track small boats?
- How to improve the surveillance capability of border patrols and boats/vessels?
- How can integration contribute to redress the limitations of current border surveillance systems?
- What is the added value? What is the trade off between effectiveness and cost?
These challenges call for a wide range of mission capabilities requiring flexible, high-performance multi-sensor systems, installed and operated from a variety of piloted or remotely piloted platforms.
Moreover the Wide Area Surveillance integrates a range of different sensor types to create a local operating picture at a specific location. These components include those for detecting (ground radars, passive infra red, seismic etc.) and classifying moving objects (EO/IR imagery) as well as those for fusing data related to multiple sensors to derive a combined situational awareness view.
Frontex plays a key role in bridging the gap between producers and end users, making sure that the research and development community has a clear picture of the needs and challenges faced daily at the EU’s borders. The agency facilitates information exchange between border management authorities, research institutes, universities and industry, via the organisation of projects, workshops and conferences. It also informs EU research projects under the Security Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7) and provides input for policy development.
In this context the Research and Development Unit of Frontex will organize, on 10 April 2014 in Warsaw, a workshop on: the Border Surveillance Sensors and Platforms: Challenges and Opportunities. The aim of the workshop is to present and debate like:
Platforms: Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) and Optionally Piloted Aircraft (OPA)
- Legal context
- Industry update in OPAs
- Lessons learned
Sensors: Optical fiber and un-cooled/cooled IR cameras
Border Management: Optimized border surveillance
Key stakeholders and representatives of the EU Member States authorities involved in border control will attend.
Frontex invites relevant industry to present its latest achievements in this domain, especially from the perspective of cost-efficiency.
Attendance is free of charge, but industry representatives will be asked to cover the cost of their own meals and accommodation.
Should you wish to participate in the Border surveillance workshop 2014, please respond to this invitation by Monday, 27 March 2014 to zdravko.kolev@frontex.europa.eu
Please note that space is limited and those participants will be selected on a first-come-first-served basis and in a way that ensures representation of the topic identified above. In case a company is selected, maximum 2 representatives are accepted. Each selected company will give only one presentation, with a maximum duration of 20 minutes.
If your registration is accepted, your participation will be confirmed within three working days. In order to avoid disappointment you should express your interest immediately.
Details on the venue as well as other logistical
information will be sent only to those whose registrations have been accepted
and have been confirmed participation.