Augmented Reality Enriched Situation awareness for Border security (ARESIBO)
Duration: May 2019 – Jul 2022 (39 months)
Mandate by: EC under European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 833805
Expected outcome(s): ARESIBO is an innovative system for improved situation awareness in the border security domain. It aims at improving the efficiency of the border surveillance systems by providing the operational teams and the tactical command and control level with accurate and comprehensive information. Through Mobile Augmented Reality and Wearables, and Artificial Intelligence, the system will improve the cognitive capabilities and the perception of border guards to help them respond fast and effectively when a critical situation takes place.
CBRA’s role: CBRA is responsible for the preparation of the Data Management Plan, specifying the data management life cycle, but it will also be involved in the assessment of end-users as well as security and legal requirements and in the development and testing of scenarios based on a concept of operations (CONOPS) for integrated situation awareness in border security procedures.
Innovative Data Analytics, Data Sources, and Architecture for European Customs Risk Management (PROFILE)
Duration: Aug 2018 – Feb 2022 (43 months)
Mandate by: EC under European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 786748
Expected outcome(s): PROFILE seeks to accelerate the uptake of state-of-the-art data analytics and incorporation of new data sources for more effective and efficient customs risk management in the European Union. The project customizes solutions, that build on machine learning, graph-based analytics, and natural language processing, to help targeting officers and strategic analysts identify high-risk cross-border movements. PROFILE also connects customs risk management systems to logistics Big Data and provides customs an improved access to online data, especially valuation-relevant data of e-commerce sites. PROFILE also strengthens cooperation and data exchange among customs and other competent authorities: PROFILE enables customs-to-customs systematic sharing of Entry Summary Declarations and other risk-relevant information through the EU-wide PROFILE Risk Data Sharing Architecture. With PROFILE solutions, customs administration can increase substantially the hit rate of inspections and their capacity to cope with transnational crime, terrorism, and the dramatic e-commerce-driven growth of customs declarations.
CBRA’s role: CBRA takes the role of contact point between EC and project consortium, being in charge of the overall project organization, planning, dissemination, communication and reporting. Among other tasks CBRA has to specify ethics requirements, produce education and training materials in data analytics, big data and customs risk management.
Safe and Secure Parking Places for Trucks (SecPark)
Duration: Jan 2018 – Dec 2018 (12 months)
Mandate by: European Commission Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (EC DG MOVE)
Expected outcome(s): The project produces a roadmap for upgrading the pan-European network of Safe and Secure Truck Parking Areas (SSTPAs) and a step-by-step manual for designing secure truck parkings along European motorways. The roadmap discusses current challenges of secure truck parking and recommends ways to overcome any roadblocks ahead.
CBRA’s role: CBRA is responsible for reviewing existing material on Safe and Secure Truck Parking Areas (SSTAPs). The review document frames the state-of-the-art and summarises good practices and options for designing and upgrading the European network of SSTPAs. CBRA experts also advise the project partners to conduct a survey and produce the final roadmap.
Optimizing Trade Facilitation Performance in Morocco
Duration: Dec 2017 – Nov 2018 (12 months)
Mandate by: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); and, Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation
Expected outcome(s): Over the past years, Morocco has undertaken ambitious trade facilitation reforms, leading to substantial progress in particular related to the performance of Moroccan Customs. Bottlenecks remain mainly related to the performance of non-Customs actors. This project consists of two key components: designed to face the identified challenges of Port Procedures – Harmonization of documentary requirements and simplification of procedures in the Moroccan ports (Component 1) and designed to face the identified challenges of Using KPIs and Data Analytics for optimizing Trade Facilitation Performance (Component 2). The main objective of Component 1 is to harmonize, simplify and standardize procedures and documentary requirements related to the import and export operations in Morocco’s ports and in Component 2 is to Optimize Morocco’s trade facilitation performance using transaction-based trade facilitation metrics and data analytics techniques.
CBRA’s role: CBRA is tasked to take over the technical lead for the Morocco project development and to assist project implementation as part of the Alliance Project Team.
Precursors of Illicit Cigarette Trade (PRECISE)
Duration: Aug 2017 – Mar 2019 (20 months)
Mandate by: PMI IMPACT program
Expected outcome(s): This project aims to design a new system for monitoring and controlling essential production resources that illicit tobacco manufacturing needs: raw materials, machinery and competent work force (hereafter referred to as precursors). Precursors – including raw tobacco, acetate tow for filters, and rolling paper – are essential for illegal tobacco production, yet little is done to monitor and control trade in these production inputs. Certainly, the Global Acetate Manufacturers Association (GAMA), whose members account for most global acetate tow production, maintains a voluntary Know Your Customer (KYC) Program, and the WHO Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products proposes licensing of tobacco manufacturing machines and machine spare parts (Art. 6). Even so, to date, there have not been serious, systematic attempts to monitor or control cigarette precursors across geographies, all types of precursors, and players of precursor supply networks. Therefore, the project seeks to complicate sourcing of tobacco precursors, and this way lower consumption of illicit tobacco products. Lower consumption translates eventually into higher tax revenues, better public health, fairer competition, and less income for organized crime syndicates and even terrorist organizations.
CBRA’s role: CBRA is the sole party in the project.
Mandate by: Horizon 2020 program of the European Union
Expected outcome(s): Demonstrating how a powerful and innovative synchro-modal supply chain eco-net can catalyze the uptake of the slow steaming concept and synchro-modality, guaranteeing cost-effective robust solutions that de-stress the supply chain to reduce emissions and costs for logistics operations, while simultaneously increasing reliability and service levels for logistics user.
CBRA’s role: CBRA looks after the Policy reviews as well as after the project outreach to the European and global customs communities.
Expected outcome(s): Demonstrations on how a powerful and innovative consistently optimized resilient ecosystem implementation, integrating interoperability, security, resilience and real-time optimization can produce cost effective, fast and robust solutions that will guarantee the efficient and secure transit of goods through the worldwide global supply chain system.
CBRA’s role: CBRA is the leader for Policy reviews and recommendations, information observatory and education materials – special focus on Customs and police education in supply chain, risk management, security and trade facilitation
EC Security Guidance for the European Commercial Road Freight Transport Sector: ROADSEC Security Toolkit
Duration: Jan – Sep 2017 (9 months)
Mandate by: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission, DG MOVE
Outcome(s): The European commercial road freight transport sector faces many security threats today. While cargo theft continues to be a multi-billion-euro problem for the European transport sector, irregular immigrants and terrorists pose additional security risks to international trucking. The ROADSEC project produced a toolkit that provides clear operational guidance that will help European truck drivers, haulage companies and other key stakeholders to address cargo theft, stowaway entry to trucks, and terrorism on European roads. It also updates and upgrades contemporary good security practices that are rapidly becoming outdated amid a constantly evolving risk landscape, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes.
Assessing regulatory and procedural barriers to trade in Georgia
Duration: Sep – Oct 2017 (2 months)
Mandate by: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Outcome(s): Since 2010, the UNECE has been carrying out national assessment studies of regulatory and procedural barriers to trade in goods, with a view to helping its member States increase the contribution of trade to economic growth. In 2016, the Government of Georgia requested the UNECE to conduct an assessment study of regulatory and procedural trade barriers in the country. CBRA carried in-depth face-to-face interviews with relevant government officials in order to establish a clear understanding of reform achievements to date and key challenges, including capacity needs, in the area of trade facilitation. The findings emerging from the interviews will be published as part of an assessment study, which will provide action-oriented recommendations for the Government’s recommendation. The recommendations will serve as a basis for: (i) decisions by the government on targeted interventions; (ii) discussions among UNECE member states in support of regional cooperation; and, (iii) decisions by UNECE on its activities in support of Georgia’s trade development efforts.
CBRA’s role: CBRA was in charge of carrying in-depth face-to-face interviews with relevant government officials, as well as writing the final report.
Mandate by: International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Outcome(s): The IPPC is working to establish an electronic phytosanitary certificate service (ePhyto Solution) to facilitate the exchange of official information used by countries to manage plant health risks in international movement of products. CBRA developed and applied a survey to National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) and companies around the world. This survey will help IPPC to better understand the features and benefits that NPPOs and companies would expect to derive from IPPC´s ePhyto Solution; their expectations regarding the use of the IPPC´s ePhyto Solution, and their preferred method of funding the IPPC´s ePhyto Solution operating costs.
CBRA’s role: CBRA, as a subcontractor to TDFA, was tasked to develop and apply a survey to National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) and companies around the world, as well as to write the two final reports.
BORDER MANAGEMENT BRIEFING FOR MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Duration: Dec 2016 – Feb 2017 (3 months)
Mandate by: European Parliament, Committee on International Trade (INTA)
Outcome(s): A briefing on “Facilitating External Trade via Border Management”, with the following components: (i) An overview of the operational practices in cross-border trade that includes an introduction to international supply chain management principles and practices as well as operational challenges faced at the ports and borders; (ii) An overview of best border management practices, including trade facilitation – as recommended by the appropriate international organizations (e.g. WCO and UNECE) and required under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement – and coordinated border management principles to help strengthen and improve border controls; and, (iii) Thoughts and recommendations on how to improve upon trade facilitation and border management within the EU.
CBRA’s role: CBRA co-authored the briefing (led by Dr. Andrew Grainger)
Link to publications: Na
Project URL: Na
Total Cost of Cargo Theft (TCCT) study – Preliminary Assessment
Outcome(s): Training materials and other tools to increase the capabilities of law enforcement agencies, customs and port authorities, environmental agencies and prosecutors to fight cross-border waste crime more cost-effectively.
CBRA’s role: CBRA is a task leader for the Customs educational materials in fight against waste trafficking.
Outcome(s): Detailed understanding on the socio-economic negative impacts of trafficking and illicit trade in the case countries; with (limited) quantifications of the illicit volumes and damages to the society).
CBRA’s role: CBRA was the project leader.
AEO Benefit surveys – WCO 2nd Global AEO meeting in Madrid 2014 & WCO 3rd Global AEO meeting in Cancun 2016
Duration: Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 (3 years total time span)
Mandate by: Research executed in the frame of the WCO PICARD program
Outcome(s): Detailed model on customs granted benefits available / implemented across the globe, including: more streamlined / simplified Customs procedures, less frequent interventions by the Customs administration, increased priority over non-AEO companies, and increased (positive) attention by the Customs administration).
CBRA’s role: CBRA was the project leader.
Study on Improving the Border Agency Cooperation among the OIC Member States for Facilitating Trade
Outcome(s): Evidence-based report on best practices in international and national border agency cooperation (BAC), topped with a tangible BAC-roadmap for the 57 OIC members).
Outcome(s): 12 high level politicians, including one Minister and multiple Vice Ministers of Trade and as well as Customs directors from the six Central American countries, and the Secretary General of SIECA had multiple meetings in the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland at key ministries and main air, sea, land and river border crossing points.
CBRA’s role: CBRA was the main organizer and a co-host for the SIECA delegation visiting three European countries during a one week trip – hosts included Dutch Customs, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, World Customs Organization, Swiss Customs, Swiss Ministry of Economic Affairs, World Economic Forum etc.
Link to publications: Na
Project URL: Na
Improving chemical supply chain security and public-private cooperation in Egypt and in Iraq -project
Duration: Jan 2015 – Dec 2015 (1 year total time span)
Outcome(s): Educational case studies on chemical supply chain security implementations, including a Dow Chemical case study.
CBRA’s role: Three day workshops held / facilitated by Dr. Hintsa for government agencies, including Customs and industries, in Hurghada and in Istanbul.
Link to publications: Na
Project URL: Na
Feasibility study on revenue and tax collection benchmarking database for Customs administrations globally
Duration: Dec 2014 – Aug 2015 (9 months)
Mandate by: Swiss Customs Administration
Outcome(s): Survey study laying out the potential benefits of a (future) global benchmarking database on indirect tax types and collection costs, among the WCO membership.
Outcome(s): The findings of this study are compiled in an express cargo security screening technology roadmap.
CBRA’s role: CBRA was a project analyst
Link to publications: Na
Project URL: Na
CWIT – Countering WEEE Illegal Trade -project
Duration: Sep 2013 – Aug 2015 (2 years)
Mandate by: Framework Program 7 of the European Union; project partnership with INTERPOL, UNICRI, UNU etc.
Outcome(s): A set of recommendations and a tangible roadmap for all key public and private sector stakeholders in electronic waste (reverse) supply chain, with the goal to minimize the number and implications of criminal and civil violations in the WEEE chain.
CBRA’s role: CBRA focused on crime analysis and interaction with the global Customs community, throughout the project, being also responsible for the production of the final recommendation and roadmap.
Study: The import VAT and duty de-minimis in the European Union – Where should they be and what will be the impact?
Duration: March 2013 – Oct 2014 (20 months)
Mandate by: European Express Association, Belgium
Outcome(s): An economic model based on 10 million+ EU import records from the four main express carriers, pointing to the optimum of VAT de-minimis threshold in the EU, when considering the total cost of tax collection between customs, tax, importer, freight forwarder / transport carrier.
SAFEPOST - Reuse and development of Security Knowledge assets for International Postal supply chains -project
Duration: Apr 2012 – July 2016 (52 months)
Mandate by: Framework Program 7 of the European Union, project partnership with multiple European postal operators etc.
Outcome(s): Demonstration results with common postal security space; d-tube drug screening station; explosive detection system; Image recognition system; radiological screening; security standard and certificate.
Thailand Europe Cooperation TEC-II, PDSC. Implementation of international standards on supply chain security leading to a secure trade environment and to increased trade facilitation - Development of AEO and MRA guidelines -project
Outcome(s): Report with tangible recommendations on (i) how to best improve the popularity of the AEO program in Thailand, and (ii) how to prepare for an effective MRA process between Thailand and the EU.
Trade Facilitation Master Plan Development for Abu Dhabi Customs and Transport Administrations -project - Abu Dhabi Logistics Action Plan (ADLAP), Trade Facilitation Working Group (TF WG)
Outcome(s): Report with tangible recommendations on how to reach the next level of trade facilitation in Abu Dhabi; following the UENC TFIG methodology.
CBRA’s role: CBRA facilitated multiple public-private workshops in Abu Dhabi, and wrote the trade facilitation master plan.
CASSANDRA - Common Assessment and Analysis of Risk in Global Supply Chains -project
Duration: 2011 – 2014 (3 years)
Mandate by: Framework Program 7 of the European Union
Outcome(s): Improving supply chain visibility and business execution as well as the efficiency and effectiveness for government supervision – facilitated by data sharing and a new approach towards risk assessment; enabling and facilitating the combination of existing information sources in supply chains into a new data sharing – “information pipeline”) – concept which improves visibility and risk assessment by both business and governmental actors.
CBRA’s role: CBRA was the work package leader for the CASSANDRA Compendium which covers supply chain, logistics, risk and security management disciplines; and also contributed to the policy analysis and development, and risk assessment methodologies within the project.
FOCUS - Foresight Security Scenarios – Mapping Research to a Comprehensive Approach to Exogenous EU Roles -project
Duration: Apr 2011 – Mar 2013 (2 years)
Mandate by: Framework Program 7 of the European Union
Outcome(s): FOCUS identified and assessed alternative sets of future tracks for security research in FP7 and subsequent programs that will support the EU to adopt new roles in dealing with external threats, risks, and vulnerabilities, the main contribution being the development of an effective long-term prediction and assessment tool at EU level, populated with analyses done in the project (the time frame of scenario foresight in the FOCUS project was 2035).
CBRA’s role: CBRA was leading the efforts in critical infrastructure, critical raw material and other critical supply chain aspects of the project
LOGSEC - Development of a strategic roadmap towards a large scale demonstration project in European logistics and supply chain security -project
Duration: Apr 2010 – Mar 2011 (1 year)
Mandate by: Framework Program 7 of the European Union
Outcome(s): A tangible roadmap for a large scale demonstration of new supply chain security approaches and technologies in Europe; FP7-project CORE becoming the primary follow-up project for LOGSEC.
CBRA’s role: CBRA was the technical manager for the project.
Outcome(s): (i) CRiM as a management system should consist of a balanced combination of policies and strategies; processes and procedures; human resources; tools and techniques; and data and intelligence. (ii) Customs operating in less developed economies perceive the benefit potential as lower and obstacles as higher than their counterparts in the wealthier nations.
Outcome(s): Interactive and user friendly e-Customs services which facilitate the preparation customs declarations can help to reduce costs in cross-border supply chains; design and implementation of e-Customs services need to be driven by tangible benefits for the private sector, including facilitating export procedures and enabling a seamless flow of data between the parties involved; and so forth.
INTEGRITY – Intermodal Global Door-to-Door Container Supply Chain Visibility
Duration: Jun 2008 – Nov 2011 (42 months)
Mandate by: Framework Program 7 of the European Union
Outcome(s): A piloted methodology and an IT system serving both issues satisfying industry and authorities at the same time by creating supply chain visibility, thus optimizing the reliability and predictability of global door-to-door container transports.
CBRA’s role: CBRA was a project analyst, and the lead for project risk management.
Outcome(s): (i) supply chain security standards feasibility study; and (ii) good practices guidebook on supply chain security for small and medium sized enterprises.
CBRA’s role: CBRA was the leader for the standardization related research and for the educational material development.
Outcome(s): The guidebook focuses on: What is supply chain security? Is it important to know about it? Who are the principal players / initiators? What are ports and logistic operators required to know or do so as to be ready when the SCS initiative compliance becomes globally compulsory? What is likely to happen in the field of SCS in the coming period of time? What is the expected end vision?
Outcome(s): Three successful conferences with the total participation of near 300 people (European and global), from government, industry and academia.
CBRA’s role: CBRA was the main organizer of all the three conferences.
Link to publications: Na
Project URL: Na
The 21st century supply chain model study
Duration: Sep – Dec 2006 (4 months)
Mandate by: World Customs Organization
Outcome(s): The study sheds light on what kind of changes customs could expect taking place in international supply chain systems during the next 10-20 years, and why these changes may be of importance for customs’ strategic planning, including human resource and technology planning.
Efficient Security Measures and Operations for Global Supply Chain Management with Continuous Improvement through Constructive Interplay between Business Parties and Governmental Authorities
Outcome(s): The most important results of this SNF-project were the following three: (i) a methodology for assessing and/or establishing a supply chain security management system for international manufacturing, trading and distribution companies; (ii) a benefit/cost model for a voluntary supply chain security management program, with the BASC-program (over ten years of history), including findings on security measure efficiencies; and (iii) a reference model on twenty-five most common security measures in ten supply chain security programs (this is already referenced by other authors).
Outcome(s): The study presents the results of the survey carried out with 102 BASC member companies, (i) the most commonly implemented security measures; (ii) the most (and least) efficient security measures; (iii) the relationship between the cost and effectiveness of the measures; and (iv) the benefits obtained while implementing these security measures.
Outcome(s): The objective of this study was to document the Customs brokers’ actual role in the international supply chain and to anticipate the new service opportunities emerging in the future. As the main result of the study, Product classification, Export and import trade compliance, and Compliance audit were identified as the brokers’ key traditional services, which are also expected to keep their importance in the future. Additional services for Arranging international transportation, Trade consulting and International trade automation, appear to have the biggest potential for future business expansion – or even for business survival.
