The Mediterranean and Black Sea region is characterised by a very volatile and dynamically changing security environment that pose severe threats and challenges on the societies and prosperity. The MEDEA project, during its 60 months of implementation provides funding for four interrelated actions: (i) Establish and Operate the MEDEA network, a multi-disciplinary network of security practitioners, with active links to policy makers and users/providers of security innovations across the M&BS countries focusing in Border Protection and other Security- and Disaster-Related tasks. During the project duration, MEDEA members will engage in activities towards maintaining its sustainability and longevity after the financing of this project ends, (ii) Engage participants in anticipatory governance on emerging security challenges that the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions would face in the coming years (present until +10 years), which concretely operationalizes the backbone of the project in a triple structure: a) understanding unsatisfactory state of play, b) design the desirable future and c) define a resilient pathway on how to achieve this, (iii) Push for the “co-creation” of security technology and capabilities innovations between practitioners and innovation suppliers, which is based upon their evaluation and prioritization on multi-criteria analysis (technology, operational and cost-benefit, etc.) and also linked to Human Development, Policy Making and Organizational Improvements in-terms of facilitating its use by the practitioners (iv) Establish and annually update the Mediterranean Security Research and Innovation Agenda (MSRIA), that identifies areas where security & defence research is needed and the establishment of recommendations for European Security & Defence technology investments.

Montenegro and Albania (M&A) have a heritage in planning economy, which means the young can not ask the adult generation for advice in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (l&E). Thus, l&E in Blue Industries need to be learned from the ground up and examples need to be brought in from neighboring countries as case studies and visits to l&E successes. An important element in succeeding with Blue economy l&E study programs that attracts the young and talented students and inspire the teachers is to re-establish a dynamic maritime environment. Ideally this would develop into a maritime cluster consisting of all elements of the value chain from maritime industry to service provider. Lithuania, Croatia and Norway together cover state-of-the art l&E applied to the Blue Economies of former planning­economy countries. To supply graduate student and seafarers to the demanding Blue ocean industries it is necessary offer training on up to date digital equipment with competence programs. Delivering large number of graduates to the Blue Industry make HEls attractive and up to date. The BLUEWBC project aims to connect M&A to this cycle. Revise courses at partner HEls related to l&E in: - 8 BSc and 10 MSc courses revised and 3 new BSc & MSc courses developed in Navigation and costal traffic, Maritime sciences, engineering, management & logistics and Tourism Management- 150 BSc and 30 MSc students from 3 HEls to be involved in revised and developed courses.- Establish 3 Centers for l&E at each partner HEls- Introduce and develop Lifelong Learning (LLL) courses- It is expected at least 25 professionals to be involved at partner HEls developed LU courses.- Training of 20 staff members (Teachers)from partner HEls.- Training of MSc students as pilot activity and 200 students from partner HEls.- Provide new prototyping equipment for 3 Centers for l&E at each partner HEI. Additionally, UoM will upgrade existingdigital maritime simulators, UV will upgrade existing simulators.

MEP&M project proposal aims toward solving multiple issues. First, coastal zone and marine environment protection is one of Montenegrin and Albanian (PC) Governments priorities. Also, this field is one of priorities toward EU accession process for all WBCs. Lack of adequate number of professionals in governmental institutions and blue economy sector companies dealing with issues in this area should be overcome through enhanced education and research at PC HEIs. Secondly, strengthening international competitiveness within EHEA and ERA are the main driving forces for PC HEIs. Thus, project’s activities will deliver next main results: developed and accredited innovative regional joint interdisciplinary MSc program (120 ECTS, 2-year duration) in field of Maritime Environmental Protection and Management (MEP&M) in English language at PC HEIs; enhanced human capacities in field of MEP&M and e-learning methodology through tailored trainings at PC HEIs; enhanced technical capacities of PC HEIs through installed new e-learning platform; increased networking among PC HEIs, governmental institutions, Blue economy sector companies and NGOs in order to act regionally to prevent and cope with consequences of global climate change and local/regional marine pollution.The project will have positive impact on strengthening human capacities in field of MEP&M at PCs, and wider, and increasing international competitiveness and visibility of the PC HEIs, as a result of the developed and started MSc program in MEP&M in English and enhanced human and technical capacities.

Security risks and threats in the maritime domain are becoming increasingly more complex day by day. Within the EU there have been significant increases in irregular migration flows and human trafficking and smuggling but also of other illegal activities, such as drugs and arms trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and –according to the FRONTEX “Risk Analysis for 2021” report- the challenge becomes even bigger. The European Union Maritime Security Strategy, and other EU initiatives such as EUROSUR and CISE, highlight that closer collaboration between authorities at national, regional and EU levels can constitute the key action to increase both situational awareness and operational efficiency. In particular, there is increased interest in assessing the viability of multi-authority cooperation in (especially high altitude) sensing and capability advancement for enhanced wide area surveillance of land, air and sea borders. EURMARS’s ground-breaking vision is to expand the common risk assessment practices currently deployed by authorities to enable the development, deployment and evaluation of a secure multitasking surveillance platform that improves sensing capabilities for a wide range of security risks and threats in wider border areas by clustering high altitude platforms technology, satellite imagery, UxVs and ground-based sensors into a novel joint surveillance capability. As part of the EURMARS framework, the various existing and future systems for maritime surveillance will be integrated, to allow for the collaborative operation and the provision of the sensing results to related authorities. The open architecture will build on the lessons learnt of previous initiatives, assimilate the knowledge of the stakeholders and their practice on CISE and other relevant systems, exploit the latest AI, risk assessment and visualization innovations, and undergo extensive technical and user acceptance tests and ethical and legal impact assessments.

The EU has experienced a surge in fixed border surveillance solutions, including physical barriers, covering 13% of external land borders. The BorderForce project responds to evolving threats by enhancing real-time surveillance capabilities. It introduces a dynamic system, featuring self-sufficient, transportable Command and Control (C2) Stations with configurable and extendable capabilities. These stations incorporate versatile surveillance towers with anti-drone features, integrating data from autonomous monitoring sensors and UAV systems. Dedicated satellite resources, including CubeSat, strategically positioned at high-risk spots, ensure frequent revisits to critical areas. To enable early threat assessment, BorderForce leverages Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), processing online data for border security threats. The project emphasizes ethical, legal, and social aspects, safeguarding fundamental rights in border surveillance capability development. BorderForce collaborates with EU and candidate country border authorities, customs, and Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) entities. It defines scenarios, gathers architecture feedback, and validates end user feedback. The project emphasizes data exchange, novel user interfaces (e.g., XR), and immersive training for collaborative threat assessment, promoting safety and security while upholding fundamental rights. This solution enhances resource sustainability by improving the coordination and deployment of reusable security measures. The BorderForce solution will be validated in 2 field trials to become TRL7. It ensures seamless operations in monitoring the flow of goods, people, and information. Addressing challenges like migration, smuggling, and geopolitical tensions, BorderForce contributes to regional stability, particularly in crises. Overall, it combines technological innovation and international collaboration to bolster border security, prioritizing fundamental rights and ethical considerations.