Frontex has finalised a research project aimed at assessing the potential and the value of advanced technology scanning capabilities. The projects results and the webinar are now available and unveil the arising potentials for border and coast guard community.
EU research
Frontex Technology Horizon Scanning: project closure
2023-11-09
What was the project about?
The project was centred around shortlisted Key Enabling Technologies (KETs), relevant for Frontex and the border and coast guard community. These KETs were the starting point for drafting the ontology (hierarchy of keywords) that was further used to feed the SensingBridge platform (the platform used to automate the research activities) in order to prepare a series of monthly and quarterly reports.
During this project six monthly reports, two quarterly reports and one Horizon Scanning report were delivered. The monthly reports highlighted key trends which surfaced in the platform, such as 6G, extended reality (XR), metaverse, autonomous systems, while the quarterly reports highlighted trend shifts.
Extended reality under observation
The Horizon Technology Scanning Report was dedicated to XR and presented an overview of the technology, its main hardware and software components, market history and the global perspective, together with a current-state market analysis, with a focus on the European, United States, and Asia-Pacific markets. The main applications, use cases and challenges of the XR were also examined. The analysis was complemented by a future-state market analysis, showcasing the state of the art and the outlook in the near term (< 5 years) and long term (> 5 years), as well as the main opportunities that XR might offer to border and coast guard authorities, especially those related to training and situational awareness.
Overview of the results
The study confirmed that KETs can have a positive impact on border operations, with technologies such as 6G, XR, metaverse, unmanned systems, having the potential to enhance autonomous border surveillance and training capabilities.
It is also important to acknowledge that keeping up to date with changing risks associated with the new KET landscape and emerging regulations such as the EU Artificial Intelligence Act will be essential for the agency to properly adopt and utilise KETs.
For more information, you may consult the materials below: the booklet summarising the project results and a 30-minute webinar on the subject.