Research for Civil Security

FOREWORDSThreats such as heat, poor visibility conditions orbarely accessible locations are all too familiar toprofessional security and rescue forces. Without thenecessary equipment, they cannot succeed in manyof the situations they face, such as the localizationand rescue of injured persons who are trapped orburied under rubble. Numerous factors of all kindsplay a decisive role, but are also difficult to assess simultaneouslyand can therefore be life-threatening.It is precisely for this reason that communicationand coordination during operations of this type demandthe support of reliable and user-friendly technologiesand instruments. So-called ‘smart clothes’,for example – intelligent functional and protectiveclothing for emergency forces, which featuresembedded sensor and communication technology.Such clothing must be further optimised in order forit to provide even more reliable support during use.The further development of special localization andnavigation systems or research into the operationalapplications of a drone system for reconnaissancecan also optimise operational processes.The Scientific Program Board welcomes, aboveall, the emphasis on user-friendliness and manmachineinterface. These key topics cover a broadspectrum – which is a good thing, because personnelinvolved on-site and in the control and commandcentre cannot manage operations successfullyin the event of a crisis without the interactionof all of the emergency forces. Aspects such as thedegree to which emergency teams and the generalpopulation accept innovations or the operabilityand utility of the technological solutions developedin these projects play a decisive role – and not onlyon a national level.This is because situations like the ones describedin the projects – situations where the innovationswill be put to use – are international in both scopeand interest.This is also reflected in the wide range of ideasand innovations presented here: The necessary enduser-orienteddevelopment of integrated protectionsystems and equipment can be combined with aclear view toward the development of new markets.This, in turn, will enable us to further strengthenand expand the position of Germany in the field ofcivil security research.Prof. Dr. Klaus Thoma,Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft / Head of Ernst-Mach-Institut, Chairman of the Scientific ProgrammeBoard Security Research