The PSCE Conference took place on the 30^th of November and 1^st of December 2021 in Brussels in collaboration with the Belgian Federal Police.  Despite a difficult context with COVID cases ramping up in Belgium and the implementation of new national measures only a few days before kick-off, the conference was maintained. Although the event had to be relocated last minute, it turned out to be successful, providing a platform for around 80 participants to meet, share and discuss on key topics in Public Safety and disaster management. 

“It was very important for us to maintain this conference and offer our members and the public safety community an opportunity to finally meet and discuss in “real life”. Of course online meetings are useful but they do not allow for the same degree of interaction and sharing of knowledge, which are key elements in our conferences” stated Marie-Christine Bonnamour Secretary-General of PSCE  ​ 

The scale, frequency and unpredictability of crises seem to be increasing and the resulting consequences are becoming more and more dramatic. All actors involved in such crises, from public authorities to solution providers, are concerned and constantly seek to better prevent and minimize their impact. The conference was attended by a variety of EU officials and experts (DG HOME, DG CNECT, ESA) who provided valuable policy insights relevant to the themes and topics addressed.

During the course of the conference, some of the most topical issues were addressed in public safety communications including: Artificial Intelligence, how to enhance First Responders’ Situational Awareness; Climate Emergency, how to improve preparedness; Mission Critical Applications using broadband communication. In addition, numerous projects and products were presented, creating a clustering of exchange for innovative solutions in public safety.

The debates triggered by the topics at PSCE Conference will certainly contribute to improving the efficiency of public safety operations and PSCE is happy to be part of this drive. All conference documents as well as the recording are made available to conference participants and to PSCE Institutional Members. A report and overview video will be issued at a later stage.

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Public Safety Communication Europe (PSCE) are working together to support the emergence of space-based applications in the domain of public safety. Having jointly signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI), the organisations will join efforts to support the emergence of applications that leverage on secure satellite communications for addressing the needs of blue forces. ESA will launch a funding call early in 2022 to invite companies to develop and demonstrate digital services that are enabled by secure satcom solutions for addressing the urgent needs of public safety operators.

Call For Proposals

ESA and PSCE will launch a call for proposals in Q1 2022. It will invite companies to submit proposals for demonstration projects showcasing the value of innovative space-based downstream services and solutions in the public safety domain. The services shall demonstrate innovation in connection to enhanced secure communications in combination with the ongoing digital transformation, which has allowed the opening up new opportunities for the public safety sector, leading to the emergence of new concepts and solutions to tackle safety and security challenges with innovative solutions. Solutions are expected to address the needs identified by public safety stakeholders including fire brigades, law enforcement, emergency services, and civil protection. The projects will be co-funded through the ARTES 4S and Space Solutions programmes of ESA.

“We are very happy to cooperate with ESA to help address the challenges public safety stakeholders face through improving secure satellite communication. We are looking forward to the proposals,“ says Monika Büscher, President of the Board of the PSCE Forum.

Find more details about our partnership with ESA here.

On the last day of the PSCE Conference, on December 1, David Lund, PSCE’s VP, presented the Smart Networks and Services (SNS) under the session “Funding Opportunities”. Heads of State have adopted a regulation establishing nine joint undertakings under the Horizon Europe programme, among them features the Smart Networks and Services, of great relevance to the work carried out by PSCE.

This regulation aims to make the use of institutionalised European partnerships more effective, in particular by focusing on clear objectives and outcomes that can be achieved by 2030, and by ensuring that there is a clear contribution to related EU policy priorities.

European partnerships address complex challenges that can be best addressed by a partnership with industrial stakeholders. They are set up to ensure that there is clear impact for EU citizens through a strategic vision that is shared by the partners. The partnerships bring together a broad range of players to work towards a common vision and translate this vision into roadmaps and coordinated activities.

The joint undertakings complement the existing Horizon Europe framework by addressing global challenges and priorities that require critical mass and long-term vision.

The SNS has a budget of €900 million for a 7-year period and its main goal is to focus on 5G and 6G networks evolution. The first call for applications is set for mid-January.

PSCE, as member of 6GIA, has been contributing to the preparation of the SNS work progamme, especially on the role of Key Value Indicators.

On November 26, EU ministers adopted Council conclusions on ‘space for everyone’, in which they emphasise the importance of participation of stakeholders from all member states in the space sector and of strengthening links between the space and non-space sectors.

Space is one of the fastest growing technological sectors in the EU. However, the European space sector’s capacities are currently unevenly distributed. Moreover, the number of SMEs is growing faster in countries with a large space industrial base than in countries with a limited or no space industrial base.

Given this, the distribution of the space sector could be improved to reach all EU citizens, institutions and companies. Ministers thus stress the importance of more equitable participation in space projects by different stakeholders in all member states. This will, in turn, allow for balanced growth and ensure the competitiveness of the space ecosystem.

Ministers invite the European Commission, the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) and member states to strengthen links between the space and non-space sectors.

Minsters also call on the Commission and EUSPA to intensify cooperation with member states and to support solutions to foster the development of space ecosystems in member states through existing programmes such as CASSINI and Horizon Europe and to enhance synergies with other EU programmes.