Operational Evaluation Event of the EWISA Research Program
The Center for Security Studies (KEMEA) of the Hellenic Ministry of Citizen Protection as the Coordinator and Contracting Authority of the EWISA Project (http://www.ewisa-project.eu/), represented by the Director of KEMEA Mr. Panayiotis TRYFIATIS and the Hellenic Police Directorate of Orestiada represented by the Director Police Brigadier General Paschalis SYRITOUDIS, successfully organized in common an Evaluation Event of the EWISA, where innovative R&D services that increase Situational Awareness and improve the reaction capability of authorities surveying the EU external land borders were deployed. The event took place on the 04th and 05th of April 2019 at Nea Vissa Local Command Center (LCC) premises and more specifically at the northern river border area (Evros river) and the land borders area with Turkey.
During this event, EWISA R&D services were evaluated in a real operational environment based on scenarios which were prepared during a joint workshop with theme “Land Border Security Needs and Challenges” organized by the two EU funded projects, EWISA (GA 608174) and MEDEA (GA 787111 - https://www.medea-project.eu/). The aforementioned workshop took place the 03rd of April 2019 in Orestiada, Greece.
The EWISA afore mentioned services have already been deployed in the area since October 2018 and have been improved accordingly, based on the EWISA consortium members and the end users’ feedback. It is expected to be further improved, until June 2019, during the operational evaluation period in the respective border sites in Spain, Finland and Romania.
Over sixty (60) participants attended this Evaluation event, including representatives of the EWISA and MEDEA Consortia, along with representatives from the Border Protection and IT Divisions of the Hellenic Police. Correspondingly, the EWISA Project Officer Mr. Paolo SALIERI (European Commission - DG HOME), Mr. Franco OLIVERI and Mr. Paul HANSEN, (European Commission - Joint Research Center) and Mr. Grigorios APOSTOLOU (Head of Frontex Liaison Office for Greece and Cyprus) attended the event. Also, the General Regional Police Director of Eastern Macedonia &, Police Major General Nicolaos MENEXIDIS was present as well.
The major outcome of this event was the realization of the Innovation Procurement’s core mandate suggesting the close cooperation between the industry and the end users. In this regard all the attendees agreed that it is of the European Security stakeholders’ benefit to endorse the aforementioned close cooperation as the services eventually delivered are of a high Technological maturity and tailor-made to the needs of the end users. Therefore, the Hellenic Police expressed its interest in participating to similar concept EU projects, acknowledging the importance and the added operational value of such significant roles in actions that strengthen the EC and support EU industry by developing innovative Border Surveillance solutions. In this regard, EWISA - MEDEA partners and KEMEA’s Director declare their intention to support such initiatives of the Hellenic Police in the future.
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