User:Pfonteyne/Integrated Mission Group on Security

Background
Within Europe, the security market is focused nationally at all levels from fundamental research to industrial supply. This makes significant funding for research harder to acquire, collaboration more complex and reduces the potential market for technology. To complement nationally-funded activities, the European commission (EC) is promoting harmonised efforts to ensure efficient and effective use of resources while seeking to impact all relevant sectors i.e. industry, SMEs, research centres and academia. This gives rise to collaborative programmes such as those from the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) Security calls.

The EC has encouraged activities such as ESRIF to develop a long term research agenda and the sectors involved in research are playing their part by establishing the IMG-S (Integrated Mission Group for Security) as a platform for all the supply-side actors to refine and maintain a roadmap for Security Technology Research.

IMG-S
The IMG-S is working to define a long term view on the priorities for research in the security domain. It is an independent and open forum, structured into a number of areas, bringing together technology experts from large industry, SME’s, research and technology organisations (RTO’s), and academia. It is not attached to the existing, recognised bodies e.g ASD, EOS, Eurotech  (identify external link)  although firm links with all these have been established and co-ordination will be assured.

IMG-S aims to be recognised by the public stakeholders including the European Commission, Parliament, Member States etc. as a representative and authoritative body on security technology research.

The group is relatively new but has already succeeded in putting together early recommendations and collected views. In the medium term, the goal is to have a first draft document available early 2010 that can be the basis for dialogue. As a result of consultations inside and outside the group, the first Security Research Roadmap will be published at the end of 2010. The structure and composition of the group is designed to allow maximum participation of interested experts. Currently there are over 200 participants, from 18 European Union Member States. This is expected to grow significantly as it offers an open, well-organised and neutral forum to develop ideas and networks.

The group is looking at technology research priorities at all levels embracing fundamental research, through mission capabilities and system integration. Short, medium and long term priorities are to be addressed although the focus is primarily on EU funded security research within future financial perspectives (2013 and beyond).

Benefits
In addition to contributing to the development of a roadmap, members of IMG-S have been able to establish new relationships with potential partners from both their own and other sectors. This particularly assists SMEs and academia who are not normally able to expend significant time or resources developing teams to meet the team structures needed for FP7 proposals.