The overall aim of METICOS is to join the European initiative for Smart Borders, to thus provide a step-change for more modern and efficient border management and for gaining societal and political acceptance of technologies for “no gate solutions”.

METICOS project is developing a platform able to integrate information systems and networks of sensors in order to validate the efficiency and users’ acceptance of these Smart Border technologies. This platform will process information from different sources into a multiscale approach for integrating information from border authorities’ information systems and Smart Borders sensors to technology acceptance models and social sentiment monitoring.

Nowadays, the vast amount of traveller data being collected by border authorities, biometric sensors, and millions of wearable and smartphone sensors have the potential to revolutionize the way “no gate solutions” are managed. These large datasets allow us to investigate mobility limitations in novel ways and could lead to new paradigms for more modern and efficient border management. However, the data collected are yet seldom analysed in aggregate with data from other sources, this arises the need for processes and methods for optimal integration of information systems, networks of sensors and risk-assessment methods for a more efficient and effective border management.

The METICOS project has at its core two paradigm-changing, timely and essential issues:

i) the need for more effective and efficient Smart Borders

and ii) the need for gaining the travellers’ societal and political acceptance and satisfaction on the use of Smart Borders technologies.

METICOS will develop a technological solution and metrics for evaluation of:

i) the effectiveness and efficiency of smart borders technologies

ii) the travellers’ satisfaction and acceptability on the use of these technologies

and iii) The level of future proofing is improved with the ability to add new data sources as threats evolve.

METICOS platform will be a valuable tool for border management for more efficient, fast and effective next-generation Smart Borders.

Technology acceptance – primary factors influencing an individual’s intention to use new technology is whether the technology is perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. METICOS aims to develop technology that will be easy to use on existing EEA systems by both the end users and beneficiaries.

Social Acceptance – the aim of METICOS is to create social acceptance by creating trust to the traveler’s that the technology created will facilitate their traveling and crossing borders rather than create a tool that will limit their freedom to travel across borders.

Maximise border control efficiency – The basic purpose of the METICOS technologies is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of border controls by evaluating the operation of modern entry and exit systems

Three Challenges on collection of data:

Data complexity and heterogeneity

Data Interpretability

Data Heterogeneity

Continuous validation of METICOS platform

The results provided by the use of Proof of Concept will include the confidence factors of technical feasibility along with the factors influencing the overall estimate of the efforts as well as scope of efforts. In order to be a useful guide for full-scale implementation, the pilots will be carefully designed and evaluated. Activities related to METICOS pilot project will be divided into three distinct phases:

Preliminary:
– Define the purpose, goals, objectives, and scope of the pilot/proof of concept demonstration project;
– Establish the success criteria for the pilot, with input from all stakeholders, technical staff, records management staff, and users;
– Outline the benefits of conducting a pilot and risks of not doing so;
– Establish an administrative infrastructure to support and guide pilot project activities.

Conduct of the pilot:
– Determine whether preliminary decisions and assumptions made regarding hardware and software performance, as well as service level required by technical staff, were accurate;
– Develop and use tools facilitating documentation, communication/knowledge transfer, and metadata processes.

Test and evaluation:
– Assess hardware and software, system and database design, and procedures (for training, scheduling, system management, and maintenance);
– Test product(s) in dissimilar locations (e.g., in terms of RM and IT support delivery) for functionality, usability, and benefits derived from using METICOS platform;
– Validate requirements and performance expectations.