- Starion has delivered the first phase of a web platform to support Mediterranean countries in preparing for and responding to natural and human-made disasters.
- The platform, which is part of the ‘Prevention, Preparedness, Response to Natural and Man-Made Disasters in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean’ (PPRD Med) programme, features publicly available information and access to secure data and tools, including educational, training and country-specific content.
PRESS RELEASE
Starion has completed the first phase of a federated web platform designed to provide Mediterranean countries with disaster risk information and access to crisis management tools. The new web portal, developed by Starion Nederland BV, is part of the PPRD Med programme, which was conceived to strengthen resilience to disasters and crisis management in the region.
The PPRD Med platform provides a broad, publicly available knowledge base about disaster risk management and secure access to educational and training (‘didactic’) information and tools. Future phases will add operational tools, such as stakeholder and resource mapping, designed for use during crises caused by natural or technological hazards, including technological incidents triggered by natural hazards (NaTech).
To ensure strict data sovereignty and privacy, country-specific data is stored on segregated nodes, with rigorous access controls. Starion’s adherence to the ‘security by design’ principle guarantees information authentication, confidentiality, data integrity and privacy; in parallel, applying the principle of ‘least privilege’ guarantees only authorised personnel can access sensitive data. The overall design and implementation approach enables compliance with data protection regulations and adherence to local laws in each country.
Alex Vorobiev, Starion Project Delivery Manager with responsibility for the PPRD Med project, said: “PPRD Med is an interactive platform that not only needs to give member states access to relevant information and tools, but also the ability to upload, manage and use their own data with peace of mind. Our approach puts security at the centre of the design, including local hosting of the country modules and ensuring users can only access data they have the correct privileges for.”
The PPRD Med programme, funded by the European Union Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG-ECHO), is led by the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), which commissioned Starion to develop its platform. The ISTC, under the responsibility of the Senior Project Manager Philippe Geffroy, is leading the scientific and technological organisation for the PPRD Med project.
The ISTC is a member of ESA’s Rapid and Resilient Crisis Response (R3) Accelerator R3 users committee. R3 is set to benefit from the PPRD Med project including Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia.
Arne Matthyssen, Starion Chief Commercial and Technology Officer, said: “Fostering collective progress for society is a core part of our company’s mission statement. Civil security programmes that strengthen the ability of nations to prepare and respond to natural and human-made disasters are central to this aim, which is why we’re delighted to be involved in PPRD Med.
“By applying our long-established ‘security by design’ approach, we are providing an efficient solution for the shared challenges these countries face, while also ensuring complete data sovereignty for each nation. We’re now working on a plan to expand the platform’s functionality and capabilities in order to broaden the support it provides, thereby making it even more valuable.”
Philippe Geffroy, Team Leader of the PPRD Med project at ISTC, commented: “Providing disaster-related information in a centralised format for these countries and fostering collaboration between them strengthens the whole region. The more access to information they have, the better it is for everyone. This includes the education and training resources we’re providing through PPRD Med, and also the valuable information gained from space satellite derived information. Indeed, Starion’s knowledge and expertise in space data processing makes them the ideal partner for this project.
“Meanwhile, sharing information between countries affected by a disaster, as planned for future phases, is the ultimate cornerstone. We’re delighted with the progress so far and looking forward to the next stage of development.”
Editor’s notes
Contact details: Isabelle Roels, VP Marketing and Communications (i.roels@stariongroup.eu)