On March 9 and 10, 2026, customs experts from EUCAB Innovation Network met in Amsterdam for two days of exchanging actual developments and practical lessons on smarter and more effective ways to enforce customs regulations.
๐ก Day 1: Bringing together different perspectives for purposeful innovation
About 40 customs officers from 19 EU countries attended a conference near Schiphol Airport during which the represented Member States had the opportunity to discuss about their innovation projects, challenges and successes. Ten-minutes presentations followed one another at a rapid pace, during which participants shared experiences and insight. As Jeroen Engelberts, head EUCAB Maritime Unit of EUCAB has announced in his welcoming address, the pressure cooker had been switched on for the day.
What are good questions in the customs innovation field? How to be more creative in devising solutions? How to maximize collaboration to avoid reinventing the wheel individually? Participants found out that, while each Member State may face different local circumstances challenges and issues, they encounter the same risks and share the same needs. These are largely related to the fight against the smuggling, of narcotics but as much of other goods; and major seaports in Northwest Europe are not the only ones to be concerned, on the contrary.
Turning ideas into solutions: control methods to stop criminals
Experts from different fields (maritime, air and land vector), reviewed various control methods โ some of them already deployed, but to be continuously improved, others being tested or considered with interest:
โ Scanning and Detection Technology: from X-ray systems for inspecting cargo to the potential of muon tomography; AI self-learning algorithms for analysing scanning-generated images;
โ Vacuum vapor detection for checking contents of containers without opening them;
โ AI-applications for risk selection, and physical and administrative controls;
โ Scan and detection methods applied to e-commerce.About 40 customs officers from 19 EU countries attended a conference near Schiphol Airport during which the represented Member States had the opportunity to discuss about their innovation projects, challenges and successes. Ten-minutes presentations followed one another at a rapid pace, during which participants shared experiences and insight. As @Jeroen Engelberts, head EUCAB Maritime Unit of EUCAB has announced in his welcoming address, the pressure cooker had been switched on for the day.
๐ก Day 2: Focus on practical demonstrations
During a behind-the-scenes visit to the Customs Laboratory of Dutch Customs and the Joint Inspection Centre of Dutch Customs at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, participants were introduced to modern analytical methods and surveillance technologies, such as the use of drones and CCTV-cameras.
The Innovation Networkโs meeting shows that, by combining ideas and experiences, EUCAB supports innovative results that go beyond what each Member State would have been able to achieve on its own.
๐ณ๐ฑ EUCAB thanks the Innovation Coordination Group of Dutch Customs who co-organized this innovation event.
Source: LinkedIn
