Fundación Valenciaport is supporting the launch of the METEOR project, an initiative that seeks to increase the safety of maritime transport, specifically of goods transported by container.
METEOR, which will run from October 2023 to September 2026, has a total budget of almost €3 million, and is co-financed by the Horizon Europe programme. It is seeking to improve the detection of illicit substances in containers, including drugs, explosives, and even biological threats, through its vapor-based detection technology.
Fundación Valenciaport explains that less than five per cent of containers are subject to physical inspections by European customs, due to the large volume of goods and containers moving through such a large geographic area and covering a vast number of ports.
The solution proposed by the METEOR project involves detecting illegal substances in what is described as an “intelligent way,” using a vapor-based detection technology that utilises innovative sampling technologies, as well as innovative analytical instrumentation and processing techniques based on Non-Targeted Screening (NTS).
Among the main features of the initiative is its portable, multi-purpose nature and its affordable, non-intrusive character, with a high Detection Rate (DR) and low False Alarm Rate (FAR).
The organisation will play a key role in the project by guaranteeing access to scan containers in the Port of Valencia, while also taking responsibility of facilitating, for the companies that will develop the technology, the collection of more than 250 air samples from actual containers. This will be carried out in one of Valencia’s port terminals.
Fundación Valenciaport is an initiative of the Port Authority of Valencia specialising in Applied Research, Innovation & Training centre services for the port and logistics cluster. It enjoys the collaboration of businesses, universities and institutions from the port community.
The METEOR consortium is formed by 12 partners representing four different European countries of the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Ireland.
