Franco-German cooperation on civil security research projects
The cooperation between Germany and France is not only about improving civil security in the two countries themselves - it is also intended to help schieve a high level of security in Europe. The joint research projects aim to contribute to efforts to provide protection against terrorism, organised crime, natural disasters and major accidents.
Completed joint projects:
ActiFind: System for trace detection of alpha particles in water networks: from direct detection in the liquid phase to identification
Funding codes 13N12226 to 13N12228
As drinking water is one of our most essential foodstuffs, it is important that water supply networks be constantly protected against contamination and the real possibility of targeted attacks. The objective of the ActiFind research project was to develop a portable sensor and measurement system with which traces of radioactive substances (actinides) can be detected in drinking water quickly and right where they occur. Current methods would require several days to prepare and measure such samples in the laboratory.
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ANCHORS: UAV - Assisted Ad Hoc Networks for Crisis Management and Hostile Environment Sensing
Funding codes 13N12203 to 13N12210
Large-scale disasters, which usually result in (communication) infrastructure being destroyed too, pose tremendous challenges for emergency services. The ANCHORS project therefore pursued two objectives, designed to significantly raise the efficiency of crisis management measures. Sensor-equipped robots are sent in from a safe distance to measure, for example, temperature and concentrations of hazardous substances in the soil and air. This information enables the operation to be planned and carried out in a way that ensures maximum safety for emergency service workers.
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BERCOM: Blueprint for pan-European resilient critical infrastructures based on LTE-communications
Funding codes 13N13736 to 13N13743
A reliable energy supply is one of the key factors in ensuring civil security and a functioning economy. With energy and communication infrastructures becoming increasingly interlinked, the BERCOM project aimed to reduce the risk of energy infrastructure failure by establishing a secure additional mobile telephone network. The idea was that this additional network will be reserved for operators of critical infrastructure and integrated into the existing communication infrastructure. This would enable, for example, local energy generation facilities to be controlled centrally. It would also be possible to reconstruct the pre-failure system status when a failure occurs.
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CODISP: Prevention and knowledge transfer
Funding code 13N12199
At the local level, and especially within conurbations, the situation on the ground is becoming increasingly complex – both generally and with regard to security – as different values and cultures clash. In response, police forces conduct preventive activities, primarily in local networks and projects. In France and Germany alike, there is a need to explore how this new knowledge, which sits somewhere between preventive social work and conventional policing, can be harnessed to provide maximum security for the public.
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DRUSEC: Drugs in public places – challenges for urban security
Funding codes 13N14471 bis 13N14475
Due to their appearance and precarious lifestyle, people active in open drug scenes are often seen as a risk in themselves. However, assessing the danger they actually pose is often difficult. The DRUSEC project is carrying out research in Germany and France to investigate objective and subjective risks in urban spaces where drugs are present. The aim is to produce security assessments with which to identify potential dangers and reveal subjective misperceptions of risk. The project is intended to draw up recommendations for action on settings where consumption of alcohol and illicit drugs is a common feature.
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DSS_Evac_Logistic: Decision support system for large-scale evacuation logistics
Funding codes 13N12229 and 13N12230
Natural disasters, such as floods, or accidents that cause large amounts of toxic gases to be released can result in large-scale evacuations of members of the public in the regions concerned. Evacuations pose a huge challenge for authorities and emergency services as large numbers of people have to leave their homes and relocate for several days. Those in charge have to make extremely quick, far-reaching decisions to ensure public security. The goal of the Franco-German “DSS_Evac_Logistic” project is to devise a decision support system for regional evacuations. It will help decision-makers make appropriate evacuation decisions both while preparing for disasters and in acute crises.
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GEFREASE: Reliable on-site detection of biohazards
Funding codes 13N12222 and 13N12223
In suspected cases of hazard substances of biological origin (such as toxins, bacteria or viruses), immediate action is required. For emergency services to be able to take the right action, they need to find out quickly which hazardous substance is involved. The Franco-German GEFREASE project produced a portable device for detecting hazardous substances on site. It also worked on a method for identifying substances in a sample quickly. The project partners thus made an important contribution to the improvement and standardisation of measuring technology for detecting hazardous substances.
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INPOSEC: Integrated postal security
Funding codes 13N12298 to 13N12300
Letters and parcels are important forms of communication and transport – both for business and for the public. However, as revealed by spectacular one-off incidents, such as the explosive found in a printer cartridge in a parcel, postal services can be abused for criminal purposes. The goal of the Franco-German INPOSEC project was to formulate a comprehensive security management strategy to further enhance the protection provided to stop illegal goods and hazardous substances finding their way into international postal supply chains.
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OPMOPS: Organized pedestrian movement in public spaces: Preparation and crisis management of urban parades and demonstration marches with high conflict potential
Funding codes 13N14561 bis 13N14565
Public protests, rallies and long-term organized events - such as carnival or music parades - are characteristics of free and open societies. Protecting such events as well as the integrity of participants and publicis a considerable challenge. The Franco-German project OPMOPS is elaborating a digital decision-support system for both law enforcement and organizers. Based on mathematical models of behavioural psychology it provides crowd propagation predictions and real time situation analyses. Recommendations are deduced on critical aspects such as route and emergency planning or required operational staff, and are visualized in 3D. Legal aspects are taken into account in the decision process from the very beginning ensuring the appropriateness of the recommended actions. sicher.
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REHSTRAIN: Resilience of the Franco-German high-speed train network
Funding codes 13N13786 to 13N13790
Between 2007 and 2014, more than 10 million passengers travelled by train between Germany and France on the ICE or TGV route. Based on the scenario of a terrorist threat, the partners on the REHSTRAIN project were seeking to explore the vulnerability of the Franco-German high-speed train network. The aim was to facilitate better protection of systemically relevant points of the rail network since this network is part of the critical infrastructure. Comprehensive measures for improving system resilience were also being developed. The findings would be incorporated into a decision support system for operators.
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ResiWater: Innovative, secure sensor networks and model-based assessment tools for increased resilience of water infrastructures
Funding codes 13N13687 to 13N13690
Drinking water distribution systems are critical infrastructure facilities. They are highly complex and dependent on other infrastructures. The potential hazards they face include accidental or deliberate contamination, natural disasters, terrorist attacks and power supply failure. The aim, therefore, is to enable operators of water utilities to ensure an optimum drinking water supply even in out-of-the-ordinary situations. A further aim was to accelerate the return to normal operation following a crisis. To this end, the team was investigating possible critical situations and which sensors could be used and interconnected in order to determine water quality even more reliably and quickly.
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S2UCRE: Security in urban environments – crowd monitoring, prediction and decision support
Funding codes 13N14463 bis 13N14468
Large crowds of people at public events can quickly result in dangerous situation. One example is the public broadcast of the UEFA Champions League final in Turin, where 1,500 people were injured when firecrackers caused mass panic. As part of the S2UCRE project, a video surveillance network is to be set up to monitor crowds and estimate crowd densities in urban spaces. This information will be combined with other data on panic reactions or group processes, and used for simulation and short-term prediction of crowd dynamics. In particular, these activities will also include aspects concerning the protection of event participants’ data. The intention is that the results of the project will enable organisers and security agencies to respond to unexpected developments in an even more targeted manner.
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SafeCoat: Fabrics for self-decontaminating personal protection
Funding codes 13N12486, 13N12490 and 13N12491
Emergency service workers can be exposed both to extreme heat and to chemical hazards. As breathable protective suits can retain harmful substances, the SafeCoat joint project is looking to create a material with an additional decontamination layer that can degrade hazardous organic substances. This will enable the suits to be used for longer and significantly reduce the risk of emergency service personnel being exposed to contamination.
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SAFEST: Social-Area Framework for Early Security Triggers at Airports
Funding codes 13N12235 to 13N12239
Public infrastructures present a major challenge in terms of civil security. First, there is the need to evacuate large groups of people (in stadiums or airports, for instance) in an orderly manner in the event of a threat. And second, unauthorised access to security-critical areas must be detected immediately. With this in mind, the Franco-German project SAFEST conducted research on a comprehensive risk detection and crisis management system for security in heavily frequented areas of critical transport infrastructure, using an airport as an example. The solution was intended to help detect risks and inform passengers and visitors of evacuation measures via mobile devices.
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Smart OnlineWDN: Online security management toolkit for drinking water distribution networks
Funding codes 13N12178 to 13N12181
Drinking water is one of our most essential foodstuffs. Water distribution networks are regularly inspected in order to identify potential risks to the public at an early stage and to initiate any necessary countermeasures to keep drinking water safe. The objective of the Smart OnlineWDN research project was to develop a toolkit with which to determine the best locations for the highly efficient sensors used to monitor water distribution networks. This approach was chosen because swift identification of contaminants in the distribution network is key to ensuring countermeasures are taken quickly. The aim was to combine this system with conventional water quality parameters in order to facilitate reliable, real-time alarm generation.
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U-THREAT: Underground transport hub resilience to ensure availability and tackle danger
Funding codes 13N14446 bis 13N14449
Underground transport hubs have an important part to play in cities. However, since even minor disruptions can cause major problems in underground systems, these hubs need to be made more resilient. The aim of the U-THREAT project is to ensure reliable continued operation or to restore operation quickly following an incident. The basis is an assessment system for determining the vulnerability of specific sections of line. This will then be used to draw up proposals for structural work to enhance the protection of said sections. In addition, a simulation tool is to be created to provide alternative routes in the event of a particular route having to be shut down.
More information (only available in German)