28 Jun 2016
The project is based on integration between satellite systems and the operating units for surveillance and intervention in the Mediterranean Sea. The goal: to equip the European Union with an innovative technological system dedicated to monitoring the EU’s southern maritime borders.
The CLOSEYE research project, undertaken together with the Italian Navy in collaboration with the Home Office, was presented today at the Italian Space Agency's auditorium. The project, based on integration between satellite systems and the operating units for surveillance and intervention in the Mediterranean Sea, was financed as part of the 7th Framework Programme and aims to equip the European Union with an innovative technological system dedicated to monitoring the EU's southern maritime borders, by improving the reaction capability and the effectiveness of operations conducted by the competent authorities in controlling the European maritime borders.
For the meantime, this is a prototype. It integrates the use of the Italian dual space systems like COSMOS-SkyMed for collecting images and Athena Fidus for transmitting processed data, with software that recognizes the type of vessels observed from space, in order to broaden the operational horizon of seagoing vessels that intervene in cases of migration emergencies.
“The strength of this project is in the word integrated.” This comment was made by the president of the Italian Space Agency, Roberto Battiston, who also added: “This is an A to Z system and a prototype of something that will need to be able to provide an integrated service tomorrow, one that can take advantage of the capabilities we possess, in the sea, on the ground and in space, for managing, also pre-emptively, the migration emergency that Europe is experiencing as best we can.”
“We're talking about very advanced technological applications - ASI's president continued - and we are certain that they will bring us very significant economic impacts. The important thing is being one of the leaders in this field, and we are. With Closeye, Italy has demonstrated its ability to integrate systems that are not readily available in Europe. Because our industries are among the leaders in this field, they will be able to offer solutions developed to the European and international markets.”
“This is a project that has been going on for a couple of years and has involved about twenty institutional and industrial entities. It is the continuation of the European Blue Mass Med project and anticipates a new European project that is due to kick off shortly. In short, it is part of a far-reaching European project in which our country is playing a very important role”, Battiston concluded.