# Enhancing Night-time Security with Autonomous Alarm Response at the Port of Amsterdam - Event: NestGen ’26 - Published: October 2, 2026 - Length: 30:19 - Watch: https://nestgen.org/library/watch/d9I6kG3RFDY/ > The transcript of a recorded NestGen session, for reading or for use with an AI tool. It comes from the video's > captions; automatic captions can mishear names and terms. ## About this session Ports and maritime operators need reliable ways to secure large, open environments after dark, when visibility drops and every alert still needs to be verified quickly. Autonomous drones are becoming part of how port security teams extend coverage and respond to alarms without relying only on manual patrols or fixed cameras. In this NestGen session, Zero Gravity Drone and TMA will share how autonomous alarm response is supporting night-time security at the Port of Amsterdam, and what port and terminal teams should think through when evaluating drone-led response for round-the-clock maritime operations. ## Transcript **[0:01]** All right, perfect. So, for those of you who don't know me, my name is Neil and I'm the head of head of customer success at FlytBase and I'll be moderating this session today. Uh before we begin, just want to u you know start plant a seed in your head. Ports are huge complex environments and security teams are constantly balancing risks, coverage, response time, and need to verify what's happening before they send people into the field. [clears throat] And that's where autonomous drones can play a really interesting role. Not just another camera in the sky, but as part of an actual response workflow. And that's what we're going to explore during our session today. The session as you can see is enhancing nighttime security with autonomous alarm response at the port of Amsterdam. So before we begin I would just like to share a couple of housekeeping rules. Uh the session is being recorded and we will share it uh with everyone the audience uh once **[1:06]** we're done with the session. We also will have a dedicated Q&A session at the end of the webinar. So we'll keep about the la last 5 to 10 minutes for it. But any questions that come to your mind feel free to drop them in the Q&A section and we'll pick them up as we go as we reach towards the end of the session. Now I would also like to introduce our distinguished speakers here. We have Bob Boris from Zeroravity. He's the co-founder and CEO. Welcome Boris to today's nextG session. excited to host, >> right? >> Thank you for involving us. >> Yeah. Sorry, Boris. Go ahead. >> Hey, thank you for involving us. Uh I think it's a nice moment to take it over here together with Kon. Uh [snorts] very grateful that you introduce us for this NestGen. Um and yeah, our role I will start actually with a small introduction. Uh **[2:07]** I'm Boris from the Netherlands and uh the co-founder and CEO of Zerography Drone. And yeah, Zerography Drone is in a nutshell a drone service provider was operating in Europe and of course our hometown is the Netherlands but active in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Uh in this presentation we will take you also with our client Tiama from Kun uh to show you the case where we are busy at this moment to integrate autonomous drone flights in the yeah in the operations and uh with the primary focus on security part for in the night hours. Um as drone service provider we have like uh the permits to fly uh uh in all um yeah in CTR zones nearby airports, harbors and uh cities uh and our client AMI is at this moment suited in in the port of Amsterdam as a big terminal uh and maybe a point that I can give it over to Kun to introduce himself **[3:09]** for a short time. >> Okay. Hello everybody. I'm Kayas from uh the Netherlands. I'm the QSA officer of TMA Logistics and I'm also responsible for the security at our terminal in Amsterdam. We are in the logistics provider with containers from all over the world. Yeah, goods for Europe will be transported uh uh by us by our terminal and uh for security and and uh of our goods and our personal. We have thought about the drones and how can we use them and so we have contacted with Boris and now we have an uh nice uh get but very good to work. >> So maybe can more telling about the the project we have are doing at TMLA just logistics with zero gravity drones. **[4:09]** >> Right. So perfect Boris and Thank you so much for joining and taking out the time and I think this is the perfect mix of speakers. We have Boris and Zeroravity who are actually doing the operations and from TMA who can actually bring in the perspective when it comes to the logistics and the security problems that you are trying to solve. So before we begin just a small note for this audience uh you know this session is going to be very insightful and if you find it valuable uh chances are that someone in your network will do. So >> oh is it my network >> to see you know what you have to share. >> Yes thank you Neil. >> Right. So without any further ado, I will start sharing the slides, Boris, and then I will let you over. Just guide me on when I have to, you know, switch the slides. **[5:10]** >> Yes. Thank you. Um, >> all right. Perfect. >> Yeah. Drones above harbors from risks to failure. The reason why I'm mentioning the title is um especially with the hop politic situation where we are at this moment in the world you see many people are can became a little bit afraid of drones which they see as a risk but at this part we are uh yeah implementing the drone dog at the terminal port of Amsterdam where we'll hopefully added value and uh make some nice results next year because this pilot is also in collaboration with the government institute solutions from firemen, customs and the police which are watching with us to see how we can integrate drone docking systems where you work with public and private companies. Um yeah, that's actually the slide one. Uh let's let's take further Neil. Um I **[6:10]** already introduced myself as Boris in a zero gravity. Um I think it's a nice step to go to see what we have already done uh from the security and safety part. Uh if you're able to slide uh four yes um one uh number four one more yes the zero graphic safety we are all aware if you're active in the drone industry that uh an eye in the sky can help you a lot for to see an overview uh on your own area uh as terminal where we speaking now but also on bigger events where we where we started couple a year as drone service provider zero gravity for visual line of sight purposes. You can think about crowd management uh where you actually giving a real-time overview of the crowd movements on big events. Uh we were starting three years ago together with FlytBase. The first contacts we have been made to see okay how we can use beyond physite actually the drone dock **[7:14]** systems. Th this one results in collaboration with uh which started two years ago to investigate okay which kind of challenges has tama at this moment and the port of Amsterdam. Uh and one of the big challenge there there is is actually a big um uh increasing of drugs traveling uh which has potentially uh for yeah bigger risk for intruders in the environment where you don't want to have them which is of course a big risk for their own employees. Maybe it's good now to show them the video, Neil, for a small introduction. Where are we busy now? Do it. **[8:18]** >> [music] >> The Netherlands motor and economic response. [music] Director, slimmer. drone. The dogs were either drones **[9:35]** Thank you, Neil, for sharing this uh video. My apologies if I looked at two screens. >> No worries. I think it's it's perfect, Boris. It helps um you know I'm sure it helped the users or the audience paint a picture in their head what type of challenges exist uh at the port of Amsterdam and you know now I think we're all excited to learn about uh the kind of uh you know frameworks and solutions are you planning to deploy >> exactly yes thanks Neil the first of all before the solution it came some challenges problem framework which has the port area of Amsterdam and the three main thing what we have uh is actually the escalation of risk, operational limitations and inefficiency in response uh time. Um the reason what I was already mentioning actually about escalation of risk is literally the growing usage of drugs and **[10:36]** trafficking in all over the world. uh you see they're increasing a pressure on the port area um to leading to more attempts at unauthorized assets as the terminal of TMI itself. Um going on with that you have also the increasing threat of violence against the employees of TMI. So of course the primary focus what we have here is the security but also the safety of their own people who are working there and trying to do their job on the right way. the operational limitations what we have traditionally way is that uh of course the critical staff uh shortage uh for in the nights of course you have safeguards and over days easy maybe to find them and to have them but in the night is still challenging uh for them to have the right person on the right moment there um so yeah besides that the traditional measurements of cameras fences and physical **[11:37]** petrols give you just a statist artistic view and with the drone you can really solve that because you're yeah like a bird in the in the air and have a top down an overview over the full terminal. Um and next to the RGB cameras also with thermal for in the night of course which is very useful at the moment. Um when you're looking to the drone uh to the traditional way of response times is always triggered by camera systems that already exist next to the fences and the cameras. They have triggers and which is connect which are connected with the control room of TMA. Uh but still it cost quite a lot time to identify is it a trigger really a trigger? Is the human, is it an animal or whatever to be aware if it is some if it is really intruder who's not allowed to be in that in that environment at that moment. **[12:40]** Time flies with it and before the right authorities get involved, it's mostly around 20 25 minutes before they are at the right location and at that moment the intruders are already maybe away. So if you look to the solutions of one of the solutions I don't on the other hand I don't going to say drones is uh will solve all the problems but it's an add-on on the systems which are already in use. Uh we will we tried now to integrate the drone dock at uh or we integrated I'm pronouncing it wrong uh with their own systems and the triggers. Maybe we can go to the next slide. >> I can fill it uh with the authorities are not uh yeah welding that policeman. Yeah, there's a lot of short of people. And if the if there one intruder or 10 intruders, that makes a **[13:43]** difference. And if you have a a a nice view about how many people are there as intruder, the police know how much people they can send. Is the one car, two cars, three cars, do they need the speedboat, helicopters, everything. You can scale on the information you get from the drones. And that's that's the most important thing we want to uh discover how we can manage that with the with the project for us. >> I think that's that's the right framework comb that you described like getting eyes in the sky as soon as possible once an alarm is triggered so that you can get quick situational awareness and can guide the ground response as well. So how many police people you send uh based on you know the kind of threat you have identified. I think that's uh the right uh workflow to think about. >> Exactly. Yes. Yeah. >> Exactly. Yeah. When you have the drone in the sky, it's literally an big advantage. And the **[14:47]** reason of of it is of course the the fast response time because it can go very fast to the location where where is needed to give you actually a real time overview of the situation and especially in the night when you're working in a big area as itself uh it's hard to see from the ground. It's literally different perspective when you have the overview and that can support the yeah the what do you say the twoers the the government institutions who the authorities uh to come on the right place and to get in informed them on the right way uh the coverage the flexibility of the drone by itself it's not something you uh you can fly directly to the other point from A to uh if needed and our drone is also of course uh integrated of with the lights and the speaker which is uh also good to have in this kind of situations. **[15:52]** Um yeah that's in a show in a nutshell what we have uh till now u as we uh spoke Neil we are that's already implemented and at this moment uh we have a year of uh to make the business case all around where we will dive into the operational financial technical and legal wise part uh to make the proof of concept very successful of course All right. Do you want me to go ahead with the next slide? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. That uh yeah, we're actually on the end from my side. Um and this slogan I must say I was also reading somewhere and uh it inspired me because getting the data to the people is actually what happens now uh with the drone uh so they can decide uh on a proper way uh to uh **[16:52]** uh interrupt also the authorities to get the authorities involved. >> All right. I think what we can uh >> give also uh this uh project what it makes unique in the Netherlands is the cooperation uh between the uh uh government and the local parties the the business because you have a lot of legal uh regulations with sharing of data and uh for the Netherlands is a quite unique project has never been done it by before like this. It's sharing of the uh data uh from the drone. And our idea is of course to make it an good business uh plan have more drones in the box at the North Sea etc. But this all depends of the success of the this project this next coming year. And yeah, uh the I think a **[17:55]** FlytBase is also a nice uh uh platform to use uh the drones in the box. But yeah, uh we have got a lot of um legal uh in the Netherlands about flying with every with the drones. Now Boris knows everything about it. what makes very complex to uh yeah investigate this uh project and and get it done but we believe in it and we think it's going to work but we need some support of our ministers in the Netherlands >> and uh yeah >> I think in one of the earlier sessions with again a port authority uh I think it was the port authority of Singapore that is how they started They picked one problem statement. Uh they had some quick wins and that was good enough to show that okay drones are actually transforming how ports operate and then they started **[18:57]** [clears throat] you know exploring more use cases as well. So you know uh great insights over there for sure. Uh I think uh if you're ready for it and Boris we can dive into the Q&A session. I'm sure the audience has a couple of >> Okay. I have a few as well. So uh since we on the same slide uh I think what would be really valuable is uh let us say you know you're actually at the start of the program where you have figured out what problems to target how to target them you've started integrating the right solutions but if uh you know I am a new port authority and I want to implement you know uh a solution or a docking station solution uh how would you guide me what should I do and what should I avoid Right. >> Uh one more time, what what you will need to do before deploying autonomous drones at our port? >> Yes. So for example, if I'm new port authority, then would you **[19:59]** share any tips with me to figure out you know this is how you should structure the PC or this is how you should find the problem and then target that. >> Yeah. Uh there are a couple of things I think. Uh, of course it it starts um with a problem that they are aware of which kind of challenges they have um to see if we can anticipate on it and if if drone can be a solution because I can say with our experience uh a lot of multinationals think oh it's a nice gadget it's good use you can use it on civil way it can help us but they going too fast because they're used to it to the traditional work and They just want to prop in the drones and that's quite challenging thing as you know by yourself if you want to operate in some different airspaces that you have challenges about the legal stuff. Do you have the permits to fly? But the the the most important thing is okay what are the pro what are the problems which uh **[21:00]** thing you can solve which you know from drone perspective >> which not >> and which are maybe a maybe so you can investigate it. Um and and and the other side is important that all the stakeholders not only from the outside but also internally they're on one line that they are know they're going to be some uh research time uh for uh that they have time to spend for a new innovation part because normally you're doing your own job and they will get okay guys can you uh do also the drones with it together. So that's uh can be a challenging thing when you try to implement it. get a good work plan with with the with the goals you want to reach and everything all stakeholders software like said then you have and then you can make an an how do we fill in and technically is everything possible but the the legal stuff **[22:03]** is the most uh complex uh part of the plan >> right so I think Figuring out the regulatory, you know, scenario is something that could definitely uh uh look like make sure that you're already working on it before you deploy a drone and a docking station and quickly identify what problems do you want to target and align them with the goals as mentioned. So one thing uh that brings me to my second question and I'm sure the audience would uh you know uh value this perspective as well. You've picked nighttime security as of now but going forward let us say uh maybe or Boris you can help us understand what other use cases could be potentially uh you know targeted at a port I know that you're mapping but >> is there any are there other problems that can be solved for sure for sure Neil it's a good question and ma'am And for this uh business case **[23:10]** we are primarily focused on security part in the night shifts. But um when um the secondary goals are actually okay which kind of um yeah challenges we can solve also because the drone is already there. And as you mentioned not only mapping but also the inspection part and the inspection part can also add value on security like the perimeter control. uh but next to that maybe TMI have big warehouses where you have a lot of solar panels. So that are the things which for sure will add value because the drone dog at the 40D with the thermal uh payload system also integrated will add value on that part also. So that uh so the the primary focus is literally security and on the secondary part we will uh try uh yeah to showcase also tama which kind of other solutions **[24:10]** from inspection perspective uh it can add value. Also the the nice thing the ones is the we have also customers with nice projects and we can make some photos and films for uh >> for for for the customer to have some publishing stuff. >> Yeah, >> that's a nice thing of the drone. >> True. That's what what we try to figure out is also if is there an upselling part for TMI itself because they're on the on a sweet post a sweet sweet spot located in the port of Amsterdam. Their clients are mainly also from the offshore industry where you have sometimes also big windmills on their own um terminal and if it is transported it has always his risk maybe to have some I don't know damages or scratches during **[25:11]** the transport. That can be also an upselling possibility from if you put your assets like the windmills or the wind blades I mean sorry you know on our terminal we can inspect it also by delivery uh to show you if it is damaged or not. U yeah that kind of inventoriization you can do it also. Yeah, >> the the internet connection is a bit uh I don't know from my side but uh but he's gone >> through response and uh where is the human in this entire loop like is there a human in the loop or is is it a totally autonomous operation >> and uh for this moment Neil It is always a human in the loop and I must say um I **[26:11]** think yeah operational and technical wise it can be fully autonomous but the challenge what we have at this moment is literally legally wise that it's not allowed to fly autonomously in the Netherlands yet. So at this moment you will always have like a drone pilot who's operating from the drone operation center. Um um of course the drone will fly its own pet flight pattern uh but it must be uh in the area to yeah to stop the drone if necessary for which reasons uh needed. So at this moment, human in the loop will always be involved and hopefully I don't know in one or two years, we will be able to showcase the the flight authorities, the aviation authorities that we are able to show that it can do also autonomously flight saves and for that reason uh we put it also the detection system **[27:13]** next to our dock system because the customs uh from Port of Amsterdam will also install a drone dock next to our to showcase them with the correct collected data and hey you can operate with multiply drones on one area um safely >> right so you have >> to answer >> yes perfect I think it's perfect so I'll just summarize whatever you know Boris and Coen you've shared the audience here >> you know uh uh like uh right from the start how do you pick a pilot uh you know you've defined the stages clearly that we need to figure out the top problems like over here drug trafficking at DMR is one of the biggest problems that you want to target you define an operational figure out the camera systems that you would need to integrate in parallel you work out the regulator **[28:14]** everything and then get some quick wins Eventually the idea is to expand to multiple use cases so the same docking station can be used for multiple use cases so that you can provide more value to the entire operations. I think this is my takeaway at least. I'm sure the audience resonates with it too. U final 30 seconds Boris and Queen uh any final thoughts that you'd like to share with the audience? Um I can say I'm grateful uh you were thinking along with us with FlytBase with this project for sure to to figure it out. If something doesn't work we try to figure it out how we can solve it. So uh from our side very happy and uh yeah hopeful that it's going to work out on the right way that we can end of next year implement the whole North Sea canal together >> with multiply drone ducks. >> Yes track please. Yes. >> Yes. I support Boris with with with his words and uh I think FlytBase is a good **[29:18]** platform to use our uh our goals and our dream to use the drones about the North Sea Canelo and we can cooperate together like a team and uh we are thinking in winging a team. >> So >> thank you. >> Yes definitely. So we are very keen working with you as well and thank you so much for taking out the time and sharing your story and your insights. I'm sure the audience really found it valuable to the audience. Thank you so much for attending this session. Hope you learned a lot and uh we have a lot of other sessions lined up as well. So feel free to you know uh attend other sessions and get some more uh knowledge uh about drones and autonomy. So thank you everyone. Thank you Thank you Boris for your time. Welcome. >> Thank you for the invitation. Bye-bye. >> Bye-bye. Right. Right.