Research areas
The research work of IPSC is based on the JRC Multiannual Workprogramme 2007-2013
IPSC's activities contribute to the objective of the JRC Thematic Area "Security and Crisis Management" to respond to major EU and global challenges by contributing to the development of new technological approaches to enhance the security of the citizen, including support to crisis management.
IPSC carries out scientific research and provides support to EU policies in the following main research areas:
Global security
The IPSC provides scientific and technical support to EU policies concerned with global security and crisis management through developing, testing and applying integrated, multi-disciplinary approaches and solutions to help to understand, mitigate and respond to potential risks and impacts. The IPSC's R and D is also helping to improve the understanding and capacity for crisis management, from prevention and preparedness to response. Furthermore, the IPSC is also helping to implement the EU's objectives on improving the effectiveness and transparency of EU external aid.
The IPSC’s research takes advantage of technological advances in ICT, including web technologies, geo-spatial modelling, as well as advanced automatic information (image and text) mining and analytics techniques. Global challenges that are currently being addressed by the JRC include humanitarian natural disasters and complex emergencies, health security, terrorism, organised crime, and CBRN threats.
The following institutional actions work in this area:
CRITECH - Crisis Monitoring and Response Technologies
ISFEREA - Geo-Spatial Information Analysis for Global Security and Stability
VESCOSUR - Vessel and Container Surveillance
GEMMA - Geospatial emergency management action
STEC - Smart Tamper-Evident Container
Internal security
The IPSC provides support to the EU policy area of freedom, security and justice through the development and application of information technologies in the fight against fraud, organised crime - including money laundering - and illicit trafficking.
Research activities are addressing the prevention, preparedness and risk management of scenarios triggered by intentional acts (sabotage of industrial installations, blasts, impacts, biological and chemical agents, attacks to food systems) on infrastructures as well as the assessment of threats and vulnerabilities of critical infrastructures in key sectors at EU level (e.g. information systems, financial systems, industrial plants, public buildings, transport systems and infrastructures, communication networks, financial networks, navigation systems, electricity and gas/oil infrastructures, food distribution systems, etc).
The following institutional actions work in this area:
CORSA - Communications and Radar Sensors Networks for Security Applications
PVACS - Physical Vulnerability Assessment of Critical Structures
OPTIMA - Open Source Text Information Mining and Analysis
CIP - Critical Infrastructures Protection
SITAFS - Statistics and Information Technologies for Anti-Fraud and Security
Disasters and response
The IPSC is dedicated to improving Europe's capacity to prevent and deal with natural hazards and technological disasters.
In this area the IPSC develops guidance and tools necessary for the effective implementation of the EU legislation aimed at the prevention and control of accidents in the chemical industry (Seveso Directives).
Another activity in this area lies for example in the development and calibration of models to assess the vulnerability of constructions to earthquakes.
The following institutional actions work in this area:
MAHB - Major Accidents Hazards Bureau
SAFECONSTRUCT - Risk Prevention and Safety in Construction
Fisheries and Maritime Policy
The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is EU's instrument for the management of fisheries and aquaculture. Its priorities include long-term management of stocks, effort management, reducing discards, fighting illegal fishing, and improving the economic performance of the sector. The IPSC supports the CFP's priorities by providing tools, services and advice to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate fisheries policies.
The following institutional action work in this area:
FISHREG - Scientific Support to Fisheries
Energy and transport
The IPSC supports the preparation and implementation of the Commission's inter-modal transport policy by giving support in the domain of public transport safety. In this area, the IPSC has developed and mantains the European Co-ordination centre for Accident and Incident Reporting Systems(ECCAIRS) for the collection and analysis of data about aviation accidents and incidents.
The following institutional action work in this area:
MULTRA - Multimodal Public Transport Safety
Information Society
The IPSC is addressing the societal and security challenges posed by the growing Digital Society. In their daily life citizens navigate in the cyberspace, interfacing with more and more interconnected entities. While navigating, they create a steadily increasing trail of personal and individual data. The rise of social networking, of mobile communication and mobile applications, together with more diffused geo-localisation services, augment the risks for citizens of the unintended use of their digital footprints. The IPSC assesses the impacts of these emerging technologies and societal trends.
The following actions work in this area:
CIDIPRINT - Citizen Digital Footprint
SETICS - Security Ethics in New I&C Technologies
SURCIT - Surveillance Technologies and the Citizen
Competitiveness and innovation
The IPSC develops advanced econometric modelling, sensitivity analyses and composite indicators in a wide range of policy fields, in particular financial, internal market, fiscal and education policies.
The following institutional actions work in this area:
FINEPRO - Analytic Methods for Financial and Economic Protection
SIPA - Statistical Indicators for Policy Making
SAIA - Sensitivity Auditing: gauging model quality in relation to model use