Embedded cooperation ensures high-quality data exchange and a safer North Sea
BRUSSELS – Today, March 6th 2020, the final event of the MAiDEN project took place. The icing on the cake after two years of intensive cooperation between coast guard partners.
Sea of expertise
The MAritime Information Data Exchange Network, or MAiDEN – project in short, is a cooperation between different coast guard partners responsible for safety, security and incident-handling on the Belgian part of the North Sea.
The Directorate – General (DG) Shipping of the Federal Public Service (FPS) Mobility and Transport took on the coordinating role and worked closely with the Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services (MDK), Defense, Customs and the Maritime and River Police.
The services of the governor of West-Flanders province and the coast guard secretariat provided administrative assistance.
March 1st 2018 was the official kick-off for the MAiDEN project. From that day on, the MAiDEN partners had two years to ensure a high-end connection between their data – and communication networks. Those networks contribute to an efficient data-exchange and help build up an accurate overview of all activities on the Belgian part of the North Sea.
Today the MAiDEN partners presented the milestones achieved to the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Entreprises (EASME), who financed part of the project.
Future operations will benefit from a safer and more secure North Sea!
Specific achievements
For two years, different project groups focused on the development of a sound legal, logistic and ICT-framework.
At the Maritime and Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Ostend, the Maritime Security Centre Belgium (MIK) in Zeebrugge and at DG Shipping in Brussels, a Multifunctional Display Platform was installed and a connection between the three platforms was set up.
Thanks to the MAiDEN project, a more extensive data exchange on vessels calling at Belgian ports (ISPS) was established between DG Shipping and the Customs unit at the Maritime Security Centre Belgium (MIK). This means that incorrect and incomplete information is intercepted faster which improves the quality of both the data itself and the risk-analysis.
The partners made an inventory of all existing information flows at national and international level alike and the information flows yet to be established. This includes an electronic exchange of search boxes and patterns and an efficient consultation of information on vessels, cargo and voyage. A number of solutions were proposed to resolve the current issues. These will be further elaborated in follow-up operations after the MAiDEN project.
European project
The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Entreprises (EASME) financed part of the project and allocated a grant of 749.608 Euros. The MAiDEN project ties in with the European “Common Information Sharing Environment” (CISE) which allows for an efficient information-exchange between national ánd European IT-systems in the maritime domain. The ultimate goal is to enhance safety on the water for both sea users and service providers.
Contact :
Thomas De Spiegelaere (NL)
Spokesperson FPS Mobility and Transport
Tel: +32 485 19 59 63
Mail: pers@mobilit.fgov.be
Charlotte van den Branden (FR)
Spokesperson FPS Mobility and Transport
Tel: +32 474 41 37 47
Mail: presse@mobilit.fgov.be
Francis Adyns (NL)
Spokesperson FPS Finance
Tel: 0470 76 22 44
Mail: francis.adyns@minfin.fed.be
Florence Angelici (FR)
Spokesperson FPS Finance
Tel: 0470 77 57 28
Mail: florence.angelici@minfin.fed.be