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Reform Support

Improved security through federated identities in ports and chemical sites

Supporting reforms that help unlock digital growth potential and deploy innovative solutions for citizens and businesses

Funding Programme
Year
  • 2023

Improved security through federated identities in ports and chemical sites

The European Commission helped explore solutions to improve security and efficiency at the EU's three largest ports and their chemical clusters. The project focused on enhancing and automating the sharing of critical security information to strengthen overall port security and operational effectiveness.

Context

The ports of Antwerp-Bruges, Rotterdam, and Hamburg, including their embedded chemical industry (represented by the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic)), are crucial for Europe's economy and employment, necessitating robust physical and digital security. While measures are being implemented, the approach in addressing security challenges remains fragmented at European level. 

This project aligned with the broader strategy of the European Commission to enhance digital and information communications technology, digital public administration, and transport. 

Support delivered

The project was implemented in 2024. The beneficiaries were the ports of Antwerp-Bruges, Hamburg, and Rotterdam and Cefic. The project produced recommendations on how to enrich and extend the current solutions for physical and digital identity management in ports and surrounding port areas, a proposal for a business case, a to-be architecture for a federated solution, and a roadmap and action plan for the implementation of the solution. 

Results achieved

The suggested federated model produced by the project enables a more coherent management process of identities both physically and digitally. The model is ready to be used for a use case and could be rolled out at EU level.

Use of the project results can contribute to enhanced security by increasing the timeliness of security-relevant user data, and improved efficiency by enabling economies of scale. It may also contribute to strengthening the single market by creating networks and enabling relevant stakeholders to provide legislators with the tools and feedback on the best way forward for security harmonisation.