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Joensuu will become a key site for testing advanced border control technologies under a new initiative backed by Finnish and US partners. The facility is part of Borderland Europe, a project aimed at developing next-generation surveillance and security systems for use along Finland’s eastern frontier and across Europe.
The announcement follows a meeting earlier this week in Joensuu that brought together representatives from around 50 security firms and organisations in Finland and the United States.
The project will focus on testing both digital and physical border control systems in real-world conditions.
The upcoming test environment will feature drones, autonomous vehicles, AI applications, wireless data networks, high-performance computing, and quantum sensors. These technologies will be trialled to improve surveillance, detection, and response capabilities in complex border environments.
Pekka Sivonen, a senior advisor for the project, said Borderland Europe is designed to link commercial, research, and military sectors.
“Border security is always the result of cooperation among many players,” Sivonen said. The Finnish Border Guard and Defence Forces are formally involved in the project.
Joensuu was chosen for its strategic location near the 1,300-kilometre-long Finnish-Russian border, and for its regional expertise in technological development. The region has also experienced regular GPS interference attributed to Russian activity, adding relevance to the site’s role in national security.
According to Sivonen, the test facility is expected to begin operations in early 2026. The project has secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund, with additional financing under negotiation. The Joensuu facility will likely be housed in an existing building.
A secondary site will be established at the Vuosanka shooting range in Kainuu, which will focus on field tests including firearms training.
US institutions are playing a role in shaping the Finnish project. Jeff Evans, senior research engineer at Georgia Tech University, said the model will draw on the American system of government test beds and academic laboratories.
“Georgia Tech has a huge number of testing laboratories. The US government also has a wide range of test beds and areas where technology can be taken into the real world,” Evans said.
Evans, whose team specialises in drone systems, telecommunications, and sensor technologies, said many of these tools can be applied directly to border monitoring in Finland.
He noted that autonomous sensor networks and drone patrol systems are already in use in the United States. He believes they can improve response times and monitoring accuracy along the Finnish border as well.
The Finnish Border Guard is currently deploying surveillance systems along a new 200-kilometre fence at high-risk locations on the eastern border. The larger goal is to ensure Finland’s readiness against hybrid threats and unauthorised border activity.
Satellite imaging and vibration sensors, coupled with AI-driven monitoring platforms, are also under consideration for broader use.
The Borderland Europe project will serve as a testing ground not just for Finland’s national border needs, but also for the future of European external border management.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
