Overview
The OPERAMAR Support Action dealt with assessing the increasing information exchange. That requires interoperability of maritime security management systems. Technical constraints (legacy systems) are important, but also organisational and institutional obstacles, legislation and regulations.
The objective of OPERAMAR Support Action were meant to provide the foundations for pan-European Maritime Security Awareness, as prescribed by the Maritime Policy, by addressing the insufficient interoperability of European and national assets and generating unified data models for seamless exchange, addressing the hurdles raised by the existing different behavioural, organisational, and cultural issues.
It is currently recognised, that effective management of Maritime Security activities by the EU requires the capability to collect and fuse available data into a common and comprehensive picture to be shared as appropriate among the organisations of participating Member States.
OPERAMAR, networking the competence of national users belonging to EU Member States and Associated countries, European agencies and industrial partners all actively involved in the Maritime domain, sough to:
- Grasp a better knowledge of Maritime Security users needs and their organisations and define interoperability models and analyse the associated issues, taking into consideration the challenging characteristics of the organisational environment in which they will be implemented,
- develop common interoperability requirements and translate them into technical requirements, and
- study the consequences and recommend a relevant strategic research roadmap.
Funding
Results
OPERAMAR is a Support Action. About 40 visits across Europe were made and reported, in order to assess how current information is gathered, integrated and dispatched:
- Maritime surveillance: 'What is going on? Who is there?';
- Situational awareness: 'Who is doing what?';
- Security layer: 'Is that activity legitimate? Is it secure?' And ultimately law enforcement and response activities.
OPERAMAR set out to shape the way regarding the implementation of a framework for co-ordination and cooperation:
- creating the desired level of connectivity among existing (and future) information systems used by the various maritime communities;
- enabling through seamless information exchanges an enhanced situation awareness.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Alignment in terms of trustworthy ICT in order to:
- enable a secure controlled data sharing process while developing the full openness and interoperability potential;
- allow to capitalise lessons learned and trust of the various user communities;
- materialise progressively (project after project) the cross-sectoral and cross-border integrated maritime cooperation concept as described in the study.
While supporting the roadmap and scope of the various existing systems and developing initiatives, the alignment process is meant to enhance their interoperability capacities in order to enable information exchange within a common toolbox. Full definition of the integrated maritime co-operation concept in order to secure the long term consistency of all regional experimentations is required. A medium/long term consistent vision of both operational concepts and technical solutions is necessary. This is to nurture the progressive development of harmonised and interoperable procedures for managing safe, secure and sustainable maritime activities, and effective response operations.
Technical Implications
Prompt progress in materialising the secure controlled data sharing solution itself, will foster synergy and will provide cross fertilisation between activity sectors, institutional and commercial operators. Building from the same toolbox will improve operational capabilities, and enable stakeholders to fulfil their duties and tasks in a coordinated manner.
From a technical perspective, there are no roadblocks to develop an integrated management solution.
Policy objectives
An efficient and integrated mobility system:
- Service quality and reliability
- Secure Transport