As passenger volumes continue to grow and new European border management systems become operational, border authorities are increasingly challenged to access, process, and act upon information from multiple sources efficiently and securely.
In this context, interoperability has become a key enabler of effective border management.
Within ORION, interoperability is not just a technical concept, it is a fundamental building block for creating more connected, efficient, and informed border operations.
What is interoperability?
At its core, interoperability means enabling different systems, platforms, and stakeholders to exchange and use information seamlessly.
Historically, many information systems have been developed independently to support specific operational needs. While these systems are often effective within their own scope, exchanging information between them can be complex due to differences in technologies, standards, data formats, and procedures.
Interoperability aims to overcome these barriers by creating common mechanisms that allow information to flow securely and consistently across diverse environments.
This is not a new objective. Over the past decade, the European Union has invested heavily in an ambitious interoperability programme, leading to the adoption of Regulations (EU) 2019/817 and (EU) 2019/818 and the development of shared capabilities such as the European Search Portal (ESP), the Entry/Exit System (EES), and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). Together, these initiatives aim to make relevant information more accessible to authorised authorities while reducing reliance on fragmented information-request processes involving multiple national databases and coordination channels.
The European Search Portal, expected to become a central component of the EU interoperability framework, will provide authorised users with a single interface to search across multiple European information systems. More broadly, the interoperability programme seeks to ensure that information can be shared and accessed more efficiently, securely, and consistently across borders.
ORION builds upon this vision by exploring how heterogeneous systems can exchange and consume information through common interoperability mechanisms while respecting security, privacy, and governance requirements. By helping organisations connect existing systems and data sources, ORION contributes to the creation of more integrated and informed border management operations.
Why does it matter today?
Border authorities operate in an increasingly complex environment.
Growing passenger flows, evolving security challenges, and the deployment of new European initiatives such as the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) are creating a growing need for fast, secure, and integrated information management.
Without interoperability, every new system connection may require dedicated integration efforts, increasing complexity, maintenance costs, and limiting scalability. As the number of systems grows, so does the challenge of managing different technologies, interfaces, and data exchange mechanisms.
Interoperability not only enables information exchange but also abstracts the complexity of the underlying systems. Operational and analytical components can access the information they need without having to manage different protocols, authentication mechanisms, message formats, or vendor-specific interfaces. By providing common standards and shared mechanisms for data access and exchange, interoperability simplifies integration, supports innovation, and enables new capabilities to be introduced more efficiently.
For border authorities, this means faster access to relevant information, improved situational awareness, and the ability to make more informed decisions while reducing the technical burden associated with connecting and maintaining multiple systems.
The challenges behind information exchange
Achieving interoperability is not straightforward.
One of the main challenges lies in the diversity of systems involved. Information is often stored across different national and European platforms, each operating according to its own technical standards, governance models, and procedures.
In addition, data sovereignty considerations may restrict how information can be accessed, shared, and reused across organisations and jurisdictions. Even when technical connectivity exists, legal, policy, and governance requirements can influence what information can be exchanged, with whom, and under what conditions.
At the same time, security, privacy, and legal requirements impose strict conditions on how information can be accessed, processed, and shared. In many cases, operational environments cannot be directly accessed for research and testing purposes, requiring projects to develop realistic simulation environments and synthetic datasets.
Ensuring that information remains accurate, secure, and compliant while moving across different systems is therefore both a major challenge and a critical objective.
ORION's approach
Within ORION, partners are exploring how interoperability can support the next generation of border management solutions through a modular and flexible integration approach.
At the core of this work is the recognition that interoperability is not simply about connecting technologies. It is about ensuring that the right information reaches the right stakeholders at the right time while respecting security, privacy, and operational requirements.
A key element of this approach is the leverage of the Universal Message Format (UMF), a framework originally developed by Europol to facilitate information exchange between law enforcement authorities, border authorities, and national information systems operating in heterogeneous environments.
Building on this foundation, ORION is exploring domain-specific extensions that can better capture information relevant to border management operations while remaining aligned with established interoperability principles and standards.
A particularly innovative aspect of ORION is its ability to transform information traditionally captured in free-text form, such as traveller interviews, debriefings, and operational reports, into structured data that can be consistently analysed, exchanged, and reused across different systems and operational contexts. This helps bridge the gap between human-generated information and machine-assisted analysis, enabling more effective use of available data.
At the same time, ORION follows privacy-by-design principles, ensuring that information is processed and shared in accordance with security, privacy, and regulatory requirements before it becomes available to other components of the ecosystem.
Benefits for authorities and travellers
Improved interoperability has the potential to benefit both border authorities and travellers.
For authorities, it can provide a more complete and consistent operational picture across different transport modes and border-crossing scenarios, helping officers access relevant information more efficiently and make better-informed decisions. By enabling timely access to relevant data from multiple sources, interoperability can also strengthen situational awareness and support efforts to make borders safer and more secure.
For travellers, interoperability can contribute to faster and smoother border procedures, reduce unnecessary administrative burden, and support the secure and controlled handling of personal information. By improving the efficiency of information exchange, it can help create a more seamless travel experience while maintaining high standards of security and border control.
Looking ahead
As border management continues to evolve, interoperability will play an increasingly important role in connecting systems, supporting operational efficiency, and enabling innovation.
Through its research and development activities, ORION is helping explore how interoperable, secure, and privacy-conscious solutions can contribute to future border management systems that are both effective and trustworthy.
Ultimately, interoperability is about more than technology. It is about creating the conditions for trusted and efficient information exchange, helping border authorities access the information they need while ensuring that privacy, security, and operational requirements remain at the centre of future border management systems.