FOCUS mid term symposium

1. Brooks TIGNER
Chief Policy Analyst, SecEUR sprl
EU Security Research:
Current Status – Next Programme –
Future implications for R&D
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2. About SecEUR . . .
 Brussels-based organisation focused on EU
civil security policy, research and technology
 Carries out analysis and monitoring of policy,
funding, technology on weekly basis
 Close contacts with European Commission
 Produces the sector’s reference publication
for EU civil security policy & research:
SECURITY EUROPE
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3. Basics of Security Research (SR)
 Part of EU’s general R&D budget: Seventh
Framework Research (FP7)
 Security Research allocation: EUR 1.4 billion
 Duration: 2007-2013
 Sixth and final SR call-for-proposals to be
released in July
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4. SR: CURRENT STATUS
Next call-for-proposals
 EU’s sixth and final SR call-for-proposals to
be released in July. Seven research areas:
– Security of citizens
– Security in infrastructures and utilities
– Intelligent sureveillance & border security
– Restoring security & safety in case of crisis
– Integration, interconnectivity and interoperability
– Security & society
– Research coordination & structuring
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5. SR: CURRENT STATUS
Priorities in the call:
 More emphasis on:
– Digital forensics and crime
networks/activity
– Cyber-attacks on critical infrastructures
– Resilience and society
– Interoperability & standardisation
– Interaction of events/technology with
society
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6. SR: CURRENT STATUS
Novelties in the call:
 Demonstration (large-scale) projects in (1)
supply-chain security and (2) resiliency for
post-CBRN event to be launched
 measures/technologies to protect merchant
shipping against piracy
 Pre-operational validation of marine & land-
border surveillance technologies
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7. SR: NEXT PROGRAMME
Shape of Horizon 2020
 EU’s next FP to be called “Horizon 2020”
with EUR 80 billion budget (2014-2020)
 Status of SR within Horizon uncertain:
– Commission proposes to meld it into larger – and
vaguer – “Societal Challenges” (EUR 34 billion)
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8. SR: NEXT PROGRAMME
Status of SR?
 Melding SR into “Societal Challenges” would
scatter research across many DGs within the
Commission
 Would effectively spell end of coherent EU
approach to Security Research
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9. SR: NEXT PROGRAMME
But -- more money?
 Battle shaping up between Comm. and majority of
M-S who want to maintain SR’s separate
programmatic status.
 Several key MEPs also pushing for SR budget within
Horizon 2020 to rise to EUR 2 billion
 Final outcome likely will emerge between now and
early 2013
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10. SR: FUTURE IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH
Policy trends
 Huge push for collective land/sea
surveillance of EU external borders
 Rising emphasis on cyber-defenses, with
operational & research budgets to grow at
national & EU levels
 Standardisation of security technology will
get more emphasis
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11. SR: FUTURE IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH
Policy concerns
 End-users not “in the loop” enough regarding SR
research and use of results
 Coordination of “dual-use” R&D spending between
Commission, EDA and ESA (European Space
Agency) must grow. Example: UAV technology
 EU looking for ways that technology/capabilities can
support stronger integrated (“comprehensive”)
approach for security threats it faces
 Universal agreement that cyber-threats are major
problem in future
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12. SR: FUTURE IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH
Impact on SR: Recommendations
 Pursue SR projects that push results directly to end-
users: these will get priority attention!
 Propose research to support dual-use” applications.
Example: UAV platforms, cyber-tools, or integrated
communications capabilities for
resiliency/emergency response – and which are
cheap and easy to use for end-users!
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13. SR: FUTURE IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH
Impact on SR: Recommendations
 Propose projects that reveal the policy/technology
gaps preventing stronger integrated
(“comprehensive”) approach for EU – regarding
either internal or external security challenges
 In “soft” areas of SR research (societal, academic):
structure research that proposes ways to better link
civil security authorities to citizenry, and citizenry to
technologies
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14. Thank you
Brooks TIGNER
Tel: (32) 2 230-1162
bt@seceur.info
www.seceur.info
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