Information Sharing Networks for European Land and Maritime Border Authorities

This paper focuses on information sharing networks usable for European Land and Maritime Border Authorities, looking at centralized, decentralized and hybrid networks. Project ANDROMEDA exploited the potential of the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE) by validating CISE-compliant management, control, and coordination systems of and for coastal and border agencies. The project improved, validated, and demonstrated CISE by extending its scope to land borders and adapting relevant Command and Control solutions and related services. Situation awareness (SA) plays a key role in effective monitoring and decision-making. It is also one of the most challenging parts of the work of any operator. Developing regional information sharing platforms and procedures could be based on existing border and maritime surveillance networks and systems, where European land and maritime border and other relevant law enforcement authorities collaborate regionally to exchange information and advance common security-related issues. The aim of this study is to understand what network designs can promote information sharing between land and maritime border authorities for a common situation picture. Three types of networks are investigated: centralized, decentralized, and hybrid. Each of these network designs have their merit. This paper compares these three types of networks based on how they can be used, which this study presents SWOT tables in its Results section. Each network design could be used as an alternative land and maritime border network, depending on the use case, and we offer evidence that a hybrid network could be beneficial as a choice of architecture for the next generation EUROSUR network. This study contributes to practice by offering insight into the future development of border network solutions, and to theory by deepening understanding of information sharing and situation awareness.