Enhancing security through Research and Innovation

Today, the Commission published a staff working document titled “Enhancing security through research and innovation”.

The document describes examples of how

• law enforcement authorities,
• border guards and
• first responders

benefit from EU security research projects promoting innovative technologies and knowledge sharing. The area of activities range from fighting crime and terrorism to border management and disaster resilience.

The document also promotes a capability driven approach towards civil security, moving from a reactive approach towards foresight, prevention and preparedness among security practitioners.

EU-funded security research

EU-funded security research is crucial to enable EU country authorities and industries to develop state-of-the-art solutions. The EU-funding represents roughly 50% of all public funding invested in the EU countries in the area of security. Between 2014 and 2020, the EU funded more than EUR 1.2 billion on 340 security research projects. For 2021 and 2022, EUR 413 million is planned.

Measures

The staff-working document also describes the measures to enable an optimal uptake of research results into operational tools and services available to EU country authorities and EU agencies.

These measures include:

• the new Community of European Research and Innovation for Security (CERIS), which is integrating all stakeholders and areas related to security research under one community
• the setting up a high-level European Forum on Security Research in 2022, to support a policy-led approach to security research in the EU
• fostering a capability-driven approach in security in line with Action 1 of the Action Plan on synergies between civil, defence and aerospace industries
• removing barriers to initiate innovation in security, for instance by creating synergies among EU funding instruments.

In the coming years, EU agencies such as Europol, Frontex, eu-LISA and the EU Innovation Hub for Internal Security will play an important role in ensuring that the output of security research is turned into tools that can be used in the operational field. For instance, the EU agencies could help in identifying the needs of security practitioners and in developing capacities for testing new technologies in an operational environment.

More information

• Staff working document: Enhancing security through research and innovation
• CERIS – Community for European Research and Innovation for Security