Brussels, 13/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - European Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen announced, on Friday 13 October, the list of fifteen new security research projects for which the Commission has just earmarked €15 million, and which are aimed at strengthening the European industrial base. They include a project aimed at improving the detection of explosives, including liquids. Another selected project aims to improve the protection of the drinking water supply against bio/chemical terrorism. Others include: (1) the development of an information management tool to improve security of humanitarian operations and rescue tasks in support of the external policies of the EU; (2) the urgently needed interoperability and standards for border security; and (3) new methods against money laundering/financing of terrorist organisations. The full list of 8 technological projects and 7 supporting activities were selected at the end of the first half of the year on the basis of the call for tenders launched early this year (EUROPE 9138). The amount awarded under this scheme as part of the Preparatory Action for Security and Research (PASR) is €45 million. Contracts will be signed by the end of the year and, from January 2007, the specific programme on security within the 7th FPRD will take over from the PASR for seven years.
The 15 selected projects are on: - improving technologies to detect explosives: ISOTREX aims to develop a combined instrument for particle/vapour detection and its subsequent integration into a portable system for use at large check points (e.g. airports, customs, main post offices), and the project leader is Italy; - better integrating and coordinating of different emergency services for humanitarian operations, the project being piloted by Thales of France; - protecting the drinking water supply: WATERSAFE is to harness breakthrough nanotechnolgoies in sensing and detoxification of surface waters for human consumption; the project joins 4 SMEs with research groups and a major water company, British C-Tech Innovation; - enhancing the detection and protection of biological harmful substances: the BODE project (Biological Optical Detection Experiment) aims to identify the functional and operational requirements of a detection apparatus, the project leader being French CILAS; - enhancing surveillance and tracking while protecting civil liberties and privacy: I-TRACS aims to develop an innovative advanced tracking and surveillance system consolidating and integrating multiple information data sources; the project leader is French CICOM; - elaborating a software defined radio architectural framework: WINTSEC (Wireless Interoperability for Security) prepares the environment in which this new technology may be developed; the project leader is FRech Thales; - combating money laundering and terrorism financing: GATE aims to develop new multidisciplinary aspects of detection of criminal behaviour; the project leader being Greek Exodus; - designing models to predict the dispersion of microbes: AEROBACTICS aims to develop models for the air dispersion of micro-organisms; it is coordinated by the Danish environmental research institute; - enhancing European border security: STABORSEC aims to improve the interoperability of the current systems; the project is coordinated by French SAGEM; - increasing the participation of SMEs in security research activities: SECURESME is a support activity coordinated by Portuguese INOVAMAIS; - increasing the preparedness and resilience in case of a bioterrorist event: BIO3R aims to assess the operational responses needed to face up to the different scenarios; it is coordinated by the Institut pour la Recherche Stratégique, France; - improving the efficiency of the pedestrian police officer: the objective of the supporting activity, “Euro-Cop” is to define and evaluate technologies, based on new ICT solutions, to improve the efficiency of pedestrian police officers; the project leader is SAGEM; - integrating the overall security market and supply chain: STACCATO, headed by the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), should contribute to strengthening the industrial defence base of Europe; - setting up of a European network for testing and certification of biometric components: BioTesting in Europe prepares a European network of this kind under the leadership of European Biometrics Forum; - and the tracking of potentially suspicious persons: HAMLeT (Hazardous Material Localisation & Person Tracking) aims to develop new approaches for early detection, localisation, and the surveillance of persons, mainly when they are carrying dangerous substances; the project leader is German FGAN. (oj)