Communications Material

Christine Mer from CEA talks about the importance of the ENTRANCE Field Tests and some of the planning and technical aspects that have gone into bringing the various Non-Intrusive Inspection technologies together in the three week test programme near the commercial port of Rijeka in Croatia. The whole organising team has worked closely with the technical partners and Croatia Customs to ensure the technologies are tested in real and optimal conditions. Real weapons, explosive and radioactive sources were used in the tests to make sure the equipment was really put through its paces and could be fully assessed as to their effectiveness and accuracy of results. 

Célia Ley of Bertin Technologies looks at the two types of mobile Radiation Portal Monitors (RPM) that they have developed in the ENTRANCE project with CEA List. The first are the High-Speed RPMs, which have achieved another world first in the project and vehicles can now be scanned for radioactive materials at speeds of up to 30 kp/h, which represents a significant increase of the normal accepted speed of 8 kp/h. The second RPMs use new algorithms to detect whether the radiation source is natural or artificial by using full spectra analysis.

Adrien Sari from CEA talks about the mobile Photofission technology that has been developed in the ENTRANCE project and how the partnership with Smiths Detection's 7 MeV mobile X-ray scanner has resulted in this world first. Although the threat of Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) being smuggled across borders into Europe is not a daily occurrence, the risk level is high, so new technologies like these offer significant benefits in the fight against organised crime and terrorism.

Sandra Moretto of the University of Padova explains how the combination of the Rapidly Relocatable Tagged Neutron Inspection System (RRTIS) has been significantly enhanced to combine with enhanced X-ray scanning from a mobile X-ray scanner. Together we can now provide even more detailed information about the composition of any items hidden inside freight containers. This new technology will help Customs officers detect a variety of illicit materials, such as explosives and drugs, enhancing the security of European borders.

Paolo Tancioni from Arktis Radiation Detectors explains their role in the ENTRANCE project, bringing an enhanced Gamma and Neutron detection system with cutting edge algorithms, which is able to categorise and identify radioactive sources. This new system delivers improved interoperability and more comprehensive datasets, both of which will help Customs officers assess a container's contents and improve real-time decision-making in the field. The team has also developed a new Gamma detector, which works in tandem with a mobile X-ray scanner from project partner Smiths Detection, enabling the detection of voids in the container in high density cargo, making it possible to detect low density items hidden in the freight. 

Serge Maitrejean of Smiths Detection speaks about how the developments made to their mobile X-ray scanner in the ENTRANCE project deliver three key advantages to Customs looking to identify illegal goods hidden in containers. The first improvement is in how deep the X-ray can see into the container, secondly it can now look through materials that are used to stop drugs or explosives being detected and finally it can determine the chemical make up of materials more precisely, making it easier to identify what is in there.

Serge Maitrejean of Smiths Detection explains how the ENARTIS cloud-based software is where all the data from all the Non-Intrusive Inspection technologies developed in the project comes together. ENARTIS stands for ENTRANCE Automated Risk Assessment, Threat Recognition and Information Sharing Platform. Better and more in-depth data gives Customs officers the information they need to be able to assess items hidden in cargo or sources of radiation more easily and faster. This of course means that more freight can be processed more quickly, also helping to speed up the flow of legal goods into the EU.

Giulio Mancini, Policy Officer with DG HOME, European Commission, attended the Field Tests in Rijeka, Croatia and explains here how essential it is to control the EU borders without disrupting the flow of goods. The obvious dangers to society of weapons, explosives and radioactive or nuclear material being imported are clear. But the impact of contraband, drugs, pharmaceuticals and cigarettes being smuggled across borders also poses a major threat to society and to the economic security of the Union.

The ENTRANCE Field Tests took place over three weeks in May 2023 in the port of Rijeka, Croatia. The tests, which were made possible by the active involvement and support of Croatia Customs, the Ministry of Interior and project partner the Ruder Boskovic Institute,  provided an opportunity to test and assess the various Non-Intrusive Inspection technologies being developed in the project. Real targets, including guns, explosive, drugs and contraband, as well as live radioactive sources were hidden in commercial containers to ensure the technologies were put through their paces in challenging, real life scenarios.

Print ready rollup banner stand 2 for the ENTRANCE project

Print ready rollup banner stand 1 for the ENTRANCE project

A5 4pp flyer for the ENTRANCE project

A1 poster to communicate the objectives and work in the ENTRANCE project.

The H2020 project ENTRANCE (for EfficieNT Risk-bAsed iNspection of freight Crossing bordErs without disrupting business) is concerned with developing, implementing and testing through field-trials a comprehensive user-based Toolbox for risk-based non-intrusive inspection of cross-border freight movements. It aims to address the specific challenges that EU border security practitioners are facing and enhance their capabilities to protect society against a wide range of threats while minimally disrupting cross-border flow of goods.

An introduction to the ENTRANCE project on EfficieNT Risk-bAsed iNspection of freight Crossing bordErs