OBSERVER: 10 years of Copernicus at Frontex – driving innovation and collaboration in border management
OBSERVER: 10 years of Copernicus at Frontex – driving innovation and collaboration in border management
sonia
Wed, 24/09/2025 – 18:29
This year marks a decade since Frontex joined the Copernicus family. Over that time, Earth Observation has become central to Frontex’s support for Member States and Schengen Associated Countries, enabling more effective border surveillance, dismantling of criminal networks, and saving lives at sea. On 18 September 2025, Frontex marked this anniversary with an event in Warsaw which brought together more than 200 stakeholders and experts from across the Copernicus community and EU institutions. The day featured panel discussions on the role of Copernicus in European security, reflections on ten years of cooperation, and the award ceremony for the Copernicus Evolution Prize Contest on digital twin solutions for border surveillance. In this Observer, we look at how innovation and collaboration have shaped ten years of Copernicus at Frontex, and where this partnership is heading next.
Over the past decade Frontex has become a key member of the Copernicus family, using Copernicus data to support Member States and Schengen Associated Countries in their border management activities. In that time span, Frontex has provided 8,759 Copernicus Border Surveillance Service products and processed more than 16,000 satellite images of Europe’s external borders, covering 2.7 million square kilometres, more than half of the entire Schengen area. These figures highlight the growing role of Copernicus and EO technology in supporting border surveillance authorities, from wide-area maritime monitoring to improving situational awareness at Europe’s external borders.
On 18th September 2025, Frontex marked this milestone with the “10 Years of Copernicus at Frontex: Anniversary Event and Prize Award Ceremony”. The gathering combined panel discussions on the added value Copernicus and EO bring to border surveillance with the award ceremony of the Copernicus Border Surveillance Evolution Prize Contest, which recognised the top five participants developing Digital Twins for border surveillance.
A decade of Copernicus for border surveillance
Border surveillance for security purposes requires advanced technology to tackle the many challenges at the EU’s external borders. In this context, Copernicus has played a crucial role in supporting the Frontex operations and assisting border management authorities from Member States and Schengen Associated Countries. Over the last 10 years, access to Copernicus data and products has enabled surveillance over vast and remote areas, providing timely information which has supported operational activities ranging from dismantling criminal organisations, to seizing very large amounts of illegal goods and contributing to search and rescue efforts, saving thousands of lives at sea.
That was a central message of the anniversary event, which also looked back at the history of Copernicus at Frontex and highlighted the excellent cooperation between the European Commission, Frontex, and other partners. To mark the occasion, Frontex brought together over 200 experts and stakeholders from the Copernicus ecosystem including EU institutions, Member States, academia, and industry partners.
The event was opened by the Executive Director of Frontex, Lieutenant General Dr. Hans Leijtens who emphasised the crucial role of Copernicus in providing timely and accurate data in support of Frontex operations and end users from Member States and Schengen Associated Countries. His keynote speech was followed by an address by Christoph Kautz, Director for Space Policy, Satellite Navigation and Earth Observation at the European Commission (DG DEFIS), who stressed the Commission’s commitment to in the implementation of the EU Space Programme with a particular attention on the role of innovation and underlying the example of excellence which Copernicus represents in the framework of the EU Space Programme. Angelina Gros Tchorbadjiyska, Head of Unit for Schengen and External Borders at the European Commission (DG HOME) highlighted the essential role of Copernicus in support of border management and migration policies.
The opening was followed by two panel discussions. The first, Unlocking the Potential of Copernicus Services for EU Security, Safety, and Well-being, brought together experts from the European Space Agency (ESA), European Environmental Agency (EEA), European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Panellists reflected on how the Copernicus Services contribute to the implementation of EU policies across multiple domains and emphasised the importance of cooperation among the Copernicus Entrusted Entities in data sharing. They also underlined the potential of Copernicus to drive innovation and excellence across various sectors.
The second panel, The Contribution of Space-Based Services to EU Efforts to Counter Illegal Activities, featured experts from the European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen), Europol, the European External Action Services (EEAS), and the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA). The panellists also discussed the potential of Copernicus data and other space-based services to help combat illicit activities, including terrorism and organised crime, while strengthening border management, maritime surveillance, and law enforcement capabilities.
Between the two panel discussions, there were interventions from Ms. Aija Kalnaja, Deputy Executive Director for Capabilities at Frontex, and Mr. Vande Ryse, Copernicus Programme Owner at Frontex. Ms. Kalnaja stressed the crucial role of innovation in EO technology in shaping the future of border surveillance. Mr. Ryse looked back on a decade of Copernicus at Frontex, reflecting on the significant achievements made possible through the use of Copernicus data at Frontex.
The final session, titled Policy Pulse, brought together experts from DG DEFIS, The Joint Research Centre (DG JRC), and the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) to discuss the evolution and future directions of Copernicus.
The event concluded with a keynote speech by astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, who gave participants a unique human perspective of Earth from space.
Award Ceremony: Boosting EU innovation and supporting EU SMEs
The event concluded with the award ceremony of the Copernicus Evolution Prize Contest – Digital Twin. Launched at the end of 2024, the initiative gave the European space industry the opportunity to develop a Digital Twin for border surveillance, creating virtual replicas of the EU’s external borders to support Frontex operations.
From the applications received, five companies were recognised, with the top three advancing to the second phase of the contest. Following a field visit in Romania, which hosted the contest, and a Demo Day which gave the contestants the opportunity to showcase their projects, the evaluation committee selected Poland’s Institute of Geodesy and Cartography (1st Prize), Kondorcad Landsurv from Romania (2nd Prize), and Spanish company GMV (3rd Prize). Their innovative solutions demonstrated the potential of Digital Twin technology to boost border surveillance capabilities, improve response times, and reduce costs. The Digital Twin approach also shows promise for replication and scaling, making a significant impact on the way EU borders are monitored and managed in the future.
Copernicus has become an impactful showcase of EU excellence in Earth Observation, demonstrating how expertise, commitment, and cooperation between Frontex, the European Commission, and partners can deliver tangible, lasting results. The anniversary event highlighted both what has been achieved over the past decade and the opportunities for further innovation and collaboration in the years ahead.
Thu, 25/09/2025 – 12:00
