Cluster 3

Civil Security for Society

Your NCP contact for this programme

Image of Fernanda Werneck

Fernanda Werneck

fernanda.werneck@vlaio.be

+32 2 550 15 65

About this programme

This part of the programme will look at EU policy objectives related to security (including cybersecurity) and disaster risk reduction and resilience. It will also build on lessons learnt from the COVID-19 situation in terms of how to handle such crises.

This cluster is divided into 6 domains or destinations as they are called in Horizon Europe:

  • Better Protect the EU and its Citizens against Crime and Terrorism
  • Effective Management of EU External Borders
  • Resilient Infrastructure
  • Increased Cybersecurity
  • Disaster-resilient Society for Europe
  • Strengthening Security Research and Innovation

The purpose of the civil security approach is threefold. First, the Commission aims for solutions ready to use in the field. Therefore, security practitioners need to be involved in most project proposals as they are the end-users. A second objective is to produce security innovations in the EU so it becomes less dependent of other parts of the world in this sector. Finally the Commission wants to develop solutions for complex problems that the EU will face in about five years’ time so looking forward to the future is crucial.  

In the field of security research it is also important that projects take into account human factors and the societal context, and ensure the respect of fundamental rights (e.g. protection of personal data). Citizens and communities should be engaged as well so as to improve the quality of results and above all to build public trust in the proposed solutions.

The background of all this stems from a vision about how innovation in civil security should evolve over the coming years. The must-read documents in this respect are the Security Union Strategy, the Counter-Terrorism Agenda, the border management and security dimensions of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, EU Disaster Risk Reduction policies, the EU Climate Adaptation Strategy, the EU Maritime Security Strategy and the EU Cybersecurity Strategy.

Click to read more 
Hide text 

Latest news

Work Programme & Calls

We offer a handy Excel file, weekly updated, containing an up-to-date overview of the Horizon Europe calls. call topics overview

Infosheets

Infosheets contain edited content on aspects related to this programme. They are reviewed at least yearly.

Related links

Related links are easy pointers towards external information. We curate the list, but are not liable for the destinations.

Documents

Documents contain additional information related to this programme, and are similar to related links.

Testimonial

image of Miricle - Mine Risk Clearance for Europe

Miricle - Mine Risk Clearance for Europe

The Miricle project, ‘Mine Risk Clearance for Europe’, obtained funding under the European Defence Industrial Development programme call ‘Underwater control contributing to resilience at sea’. The main objective of the project was to achieve a European and sovereign capacity in future mine warfare and create a path for the next generation ‘made in Europe’ countermeasure solutions. In order to realise this objective, Miricle addressed various stages: studies, design, prototyping and testing. These stages inter alia included the successful testing of an XL Unmanned Underwater Vehicle, a protototyped mine disposal system and multiple innovative systems to detect buried mines. Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), was one of the five Belgian partners in the consortium. Within the project, VLIZ was able to forward its research on the acoustic imaging of the seabed to spatially map and visualize buried structures and objects - in this case buried mines - in the highest possible detail. VLIZ also led the work on ‘Port and Offshore Testing’, building on the expertise of the institute in the field of marine operations and technology.