Launched by Antwerp Port Authority in 2014, the Port Information Network (PIN) for greater security is the largest network of this type and the first in Belgian seaports. PIN is a collaborative arrangement between companies in the Antwerp port area and the local authorities, in which the companies commit to exchange information on suspicious or criminal situations with each other, through the police. PIN enhances more efficient reporting of information that in turn enables the police to intervene faster whenever suspicious behaviour is observed, thus leading to greater security and confidence among port users.
Coordinated by the Port Authority, PIN enables the member companies to report situations quickly and simultaneously, making them less vulnerable to become victims as a result. Joining PIN is free of charge and more than 450 port companies joined the initiative from the start realising that security is a shared responsibility. PIN is the largest network of this type, as the port companies are spread over a huge area of 130 km². To make it more practicable the system works with geographical clusters, with companies receiving selected messages in real time about events in their immediate vicinity. PIN is purely limited on passing on information. The companies connected to the network are not permitted to carry out patrols or inspection rounds in the public areas of the port.