The MARCONNECT project was represented at the Projects to Policy Seminar 2026 in Brussels, an important forum bringing together EU institutions, agencies, policymakers, practitioners and Horizon Europe security research projects to discuss how research and innovation can support evidence-based policy and operational needs.
During the Border Management breakout session, MARCONNECT presented its vision for strengthening Europe’s maritime situational awareness through Vessel-Connected Services. The project explores how civilian vessels can securely and voluntarily contribute outward-looking sensor data to Coast Guard Authorities and Law Enforcement Agencies, while receiving useful digital services in return.
The discussions raised important questions directly linked to MARCONNECT’s future development and uptake, including how the project can support operational scenarios such as drug trafficking and commercial maritime traffic monitoring, how practitioners can be meaningfully involved from the requirements phase onwards, and how project results can remain sustainable after the end of EU funding.
The session also provided an opportunity to further reflect on complementarities with related initiatives such as ORBIS and CROSSMARE. In particular, MARCONNECT and CROSSMARE are already in active discussions to explore potential synergies, especially around maritime surveillance, interoperability and the creation of a more complete situational awareness picture for border protection authorities.
A big thank you to the European Commission, REA, DG HOME and all participating projects and stakeholders for the insightful exchanges and valuable discussions on the future of EU border management, maritime monitoring and innovation uptake.
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