Civil protection issues are key topics in German research. Authorities and organisations with security tasks (BOS) play a key role here, as they know from practical experience where innovations are needed and how new technologies must function in the field.
In the EU funding programme ‘Horizon Europe’, BOS play an important role as users of research results in the field of civil security research. To ensure that the research meets the needs of practitioners, the ‘Research Network of German Users’ (ForAn) brings BOS together with European research partners. ForAn supports BOS in participating in research projects and in applying for their own projects. ForAn’s ‘application workshops’ help to overcome hurdles in the application process and develop research ideas. In addition, the ‘Lunch and Learn’ webinar series facilitates dialogue and networking between members. ForAn members come from the police and non-police hazard defence and critical infrastructure sectors. The network is coordinated by the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW).
You can read the more detailed report in the Behörden Spiegel issue 125 of 5 September 2024 at this link.
Further information on ForAn can be found here.