Following a busy period of external engagement, the PENTION consortium came together in Maastricht for its General Assembly, hosted by Politie Nederland.

This was much more than a project meeting: the consortium visited Maastricht Aachen Airport to gain first-hand insight into airport security operations and, in particular, the workflow surrounding the unloading and handling of air cargo.

Seeing these processes in their real operational environment gave partners the opportunity to discuss where and how PENTION technology could support security operators in the detection of drugs concealed in parcels, while fitting into existing workflows and operational constraints.

Back at the meeting, partners reviewed the progress achieved during PENTION’s first year and aligned on the technical activities and priorities for the next phase. And then came an important milestone: a demonstration of the first prototype of the PENTION portable detector, tested on vehicles in a controlled area.

From understanding operational needs to developing and demonstrating technology, these activities reflect the collaborative approach at the heart of PENTION. Engineers, researchers and security practitioners are working together so that the technology is not developed in isolation, but around the environments, workflows and challenges in which it may ultimately be used.

A productive meeting, a significant technical step forward, and another example of what can be achieved when technology development and end-user expertise move forward together.