ACRIMAS, an EU-FP7 security research project, is a 15-months Support Action with 15 partners from 10 European countries, which shall
develop a roadmap for an upcoming Demonstration Project (in Phase II) within
Crisis Management (CM).
This roadmap will elaborate a systematic development
process for CM systems, procedures and technologies in Europe, to be
implemented within the demonstration project.
The process aims for gradual evolvement of CM
capabilities through demonstration and experimentation (DE) activities,
transfer of related knowledge between stakeholders and by promoting an
environment for co-development of CM technology and methodology where users,
providers and researchers work together.
ACRIMAS further emphasizes community-building, which
will be considerably supported by the execution of the subsequent Phase II,
bringing together the various key stakeholders and the available DE
infrastructures in a case-by-case demonstration or experimentation activity.
For detailed information please visit www.acrimas.eu.
February 2011 – April 2012
ACRIMAS will prepare a roadmap setting out the main
areas and relevant topics of CM to be addressed by the Phase II. In addition,
ACRIMAS will deliver a demonstration concept for Phase II, describing how and
where the DE activities in Phase II should be conducted.
Large-scale incidents (man made and natural) inside and outside the EU
require a coordinated response from crisis managers and first responders across
Europe and with resources from all levels of government. Currently, CM in the
EU can be regarded as a highly diversified ‘system-of-systems’ integrating organizations
and components with different cultures, policies and assets, and various
stakeholders and procurement schemes.
To identify the critical areas and topics within this current CM
‘system-of-systems’ which need to be addressed by the demonstration programme in
Phase II, ACRIMAS follows a scenario-based and user-centric work approach.
ACRIMAS is scenario-based in the sense that characteristic CM scenarios will be
identified, selected and developed to constitute a sound basis for ensuring the
work of posing user needs and requirements, identifying current weaknesses and
gaps in CM in Europe, looking at potential solutions and documenting
corresponding demonstration topics and R&D needs to be integrated in a
roadmap for Phase II. The scenario approach embraces an all-hazard view,
including the EU external dimension.
ACRIMAS is user-driven in the sense that users and other stakeholders in
terms of first responders, authorities and governmental bodies as well as the
supply side are actively involved throughout the project process, some of them
as full partners, most of them linked to the project through a supporting Expert
Group and dedicated project workshops. They play a central role in
complementing and validating the scenario analysis by expressing their needs
and requirements regarding the identification of relevant CM topics, which
should be addressed by DE activities in Phase II, and the demonstration concept
to be elaborated.
The Role of UNU-EHS in ACRIMAS
UNU-EHS has the leadership of work package 2
“political and legal framework analysis” and is contributing to the work
packages 5 “approaches and solutions identification” and 6 “demonstration
concept & roadmap for phase II”.