ACCELERATE

Welcome to the latest issue of Accelerate, which focuses on topics and trends in achieving security screening efficiency and success in the Customs and border environment. 

The World Customs Organization (WCO) has designated 2019 as the year of transforming frontiers into SMART borders to achieve seamless trade, travel and transport. The stories in this issue of Accelerate underscore the crucial concepts behind the “SMART” acronym: Secure, Measurable, Automated, Risk Management-based, and Technology-driven.

S2 Global and its sister companies are dedicated to ensuring Customs and border agencies are positioned to evolve into state-of-the-art screening and enforcement operations, accelerating secure trade by implementing advanced inspection technology and data integration solutions.

There is no question that speed and efficiency are important. But truly executing on achieving SMART goals in the end depends on gathering good data, both in terms of quality and quantity. Technology innovations are moving ahead at a remarkable rate, particularly with the incorporation of concepts like artificial intelligence. But AI can only be as strong as the data foundation upon which it is built. Success will require: consistent training of screeners; collection of high-quality images yielding actionable, relevant data; and data- and knowledge-sharing among the key parties who strive daily to keep the global environment safe. 

The threat landscape continues to evolve, as always. Successful screening solutions must evolve to keep pace. 

For more on the role that AI can play in border security threat detection, see our story “Border Threat Detection”. In terms of knowledge-sharing, we are proud to be part of a landmark agreement reached between EMPORNAC of Guatemala and US Customs and Border Protection in the Port of Gulfport, Miss., which will allow for the sharing of scanned container cargo images, greatly enhancing efficiency and security. 

S2 Global and its sister security companies are sharing knowledge and experience at the 2019 WCO Information Technology and the Technology & Innovation Conference and Exhibition, where the theme is: New technologies for SMART borders – new opportunities for trade, travel and transport. The OSI Systems family of security companies — S2 Global, Rapiscan Systems, and AS&E — are pleased to be the event’s corporate sponsor.

Enjoy the latest issue of Accelerate!