The Danish seaport has teamed up with the also Danish AirPlate (from Odense) to carry out from February to May 2025 a pilot project with the use of flying drones.

The solution identifies the position, route, and pilot information about drones in real time, enabling system users to respond to potential security threats.

"The first drone was detected by the system a few hours after we installed the sensors. It was incredible to see the technology delivering value so quickly," commented August Mader, CEO, AirPlate.

He furthered, "We see the Port of Hirtshals as a strong case where our technology can play a key role in protecting and documenting drone activity in the airspace over port facilities. Our goal is to assist even more companies in the critical infrastructure sector in managing drone-related threats and to become a long-term partner in strengthening the security efforts at the Port of Hirtshals."

The seaport's Head of Transport & Logistics and Port Security Officer, Michael R. Langballe, added, "Port security requirements are constantly evolving, and we must evolve with them. Port facility security has traditionally focused on land and water areas, but there are also increasing requirements for areas such as cyber security. Therefore, it may not be unrealistic to expect that the authorities will soon introduce stricter regulations for securing airspace as well."

He also underlined, "Our collaboration with AirPlate provides us with a unique opportunity to test an advanced surveillance system here at the Port of Hirtshals. The pilot project has been running for just over a month, and the system has already detected several drone flights. This reinforces the need for us to maintain a strong dialogue with drone operators in the area."

The Port of Hirtshals has also shared in a press release that Denmark already experienced incidents where drones have unlawfully entered secured areas.

Photo: Port of Hirtshals