Summary: This review on reference projects, specifying reusable outputs, focuses FP7-SUPPORT project. The author of the review is Konstantinos Vasileiou, ILS. The original review documents can be found in CORE e-library with the coding CORE3007. More information on the project at: http://www.mypsms.com/default.aspx

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Port security remains of paramount importance for Europe both due to potential threats on passenger life and the potential for crippling economic damage arising from intentional unlawful attacks on port facilities. Challenges arise due to the complexity of operational modalities of sea and hinterland traffic and the lack of efficient organisational and technological interfaces linking ports to border control authorities, the police and other intervention forces, and transport-logistics operators. Considerable progress with port security has been achieved in recent years primarily associated with adoption of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. SUPPORT is aimed at building on these achievements by engaging representative stakeholders to guide the development of next generation solutions for upgraded preventive and remedial security capabilities in European ports.

The overall benefit will be the secure and efficient operation of European ports enabling uninterrupted flows of cargo and passengers while suppressing illegal immigration and trafficking of drugs, weapons and illicit substances all in line with the efforts of FRONTEX and EU member states. SUPPORT will deliver public formal specifications and open standards based tools that will aid security upgrade in EU ports and will be complementary to and usable by other EU projects and initiatives in this area. Emphasis will be given to bring together advances from research on security with results from the main EU projects in maritime and intermodal transport, specifically those concerned with security and interoperability issues. Thus, SUPPORT will address ‘total’ port security upgrade solutions encompassing legal, organisational, technology and human factors perspectives. These solutions should provide substantial improvements in the performance, reliability, speed and cost of European port security which will be demonstrated during the course of the project.

Project outcomes of relevance for CORE – The main support of this project is towards CORE WP3. PSMS is a system for the Port Security Officers, developed initially in the context of SUPPORT, but commercialised later on. Instead of substituting the human element completely (an approach that is usually inefficient and unrealistic), PSMS complements the PSOs: it leverages the knowledge of the port’s personnel on the latest security regulations and helps identify risk areas and gaps, letting the human users make more informed decisions before and after a security risk. There are the following modules in PSMS:

• PSMS Dashboard: the starting point for all PSMS actions and the screen that the user uses to navigate to the modules below.
• Maturity Model – Addressing Terror Threats: enables the PFSO/PSO to review and upgrade the Security Plan (PFSP/PSP), by a maturity self-assessment procedure based on the ISPS code and on realistic terror threat scenarios. Moreover, the module guides the user to effective solutions and suggestions.
• Corporate Security Module – Addressing Crime Threats: enables the PSFO to advice the companies’ board on crime risks that the facility could be exposed to, through their logistic chain processes, and how these risks can be mitigated. It is similar in terms of processes to the Maturity Model module (see above) and it is highly relevant to CORE and the supply chain stakeholders. Thus, it will be presented below in a separate section.
• Education and Examination: the Education module presents a set of best practices for part facility security and a manual for drills and exercises; the Examination module is used to assign exams to port guards, in order to review their competence and evaluate their operational readiness.
• Sharing and Decision Support: the module supports the PSFO in supervising port facility operations and taking educated decisions based on cost benefit analysis, which lead to savings and better investments.
• AEO Security Self-Assessment: the module provides a number of AEO security tests, giving the opportunity to the PFSO to assess the company’s compliance before submitting an application to the AEO.

Related Documentation: CORE3007-SUPPORT Report Addendum.pdf

Project Deliverables – Dissemination Level PU: Public: CORE3007-SUPPORT D5.2 Self_Assessment_tools.pdf

WebSites: http://www.mypsms.com/default.aspx

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