Full title: eNOVATION - Extended Network of CBRN Training Centres for Inovation
Partners: EPU - NTUA (GR), ISENSE - NTUA (GR), NCCN (BE), UCLouvain (BE), SAFE (IT), SIC (DE), UCSC (IT), ISEMI (SK), FOI (SE), IBATECH (ES), JCBRND COE (CZ), VESTA (BE), UNITOV (IT), WSU (PL), WMP (UK), METU (TR), NUCPU (UA), FDDO (DE), KEMEA (GR), RECC (GE), CNRST (MA), CMSA (AM), MES (UZ)
Start Date: 01/09/2024 Duration: 36 months
European Commission, Horizon Europe
Brief Description
In today's rapidly changing world, the rising risks from new biological agents, driven by factors like "Do-It-Yourself" (DIY) advancements and climate change, pose global security concerns. First and second responders (FR Level 1 and Level 2), including police, civil protection, fire brigade and medical emergency services, face exposure risks without noticing it due to the time lag before symptoms appear. Moreover, the intoxication risk for those responders during such an event is largely unknown. To address this risk which is often misunderstood, and overlooked by FR on the crisis scene, eNOVATION will enhance their preparedness. The project focuses on teaching and training and provides them with adequate user-friendly technologies and tools that enable them to improve the global risk assessment on-site, provide more comprehensive situational awareness to the crisis manager, and provide better protection to the practitioners and the population potentially exposed. The focus is set on incidents involving new biological agents, including biotoxins. eNOVATION will leverage the valuable outcomes and lessons learned from the 6-year development of the eNOTICE Network, https://www.h2020-enotice.eu/, including the 16 CBRN multidisciplinary exercises conducted in various EU Member States. The project will capitalise on the existing network's strengths to develop a dynamic roadmap that expands the eNOTICE Security community inside and outside the EU borders. Our proposal enhances the integration of operational, technological, and market domains through a concrete action plan to address the increasing CB/T risk in our rapidly changing and unstable world.
eNOVATION ambition is to expand and transform the eNOTICE CBRN Training Centres (TCs) network into a sustainable EU capability and capacity. To the TCs from European Member States, the project will now include CBRN Center of Excellence Regional Offices and CBRN CoE of partner countries as key contributors. The goal is to create a functional structure that meets the operational needs of the entire Security community for CBRN crisis preparedness and response. The network will conduct pre-normative research and compare standards for the detection, identification, monitoring (DIM), and decontamination (DECON) of Chemical, Biological, and Toxin (CB/T) agents. Key aspects of eNOVATION ambition include providing access to upgraded capacity labelled TCs, advanced training methods using new technologies like VR/XR, user-friendly on-site tools and technologies to security practitioners, updated policies and crisis management adapted to new threats, and enhanced CBRN marketplace access. eNOVATION aims to be the cradle of strategic CBRN capacity within the EU and beyond. In this context, eNOVATION objectives include:
Advancing the EU and non-EU CBRN Training Network
Advancing CBRN Training and Technology for EU Preparedness to a chemical, biological or toxin (CB/T) incident
Strategic Surveillance and Integration: eNOVATION Holistic Approach to Mapping CB/T Response and Advancing Medical Training in and Beyond the EU
Advancing Innovation and Standardization: eNOVATION's Dual Focus on Technological Training and Pre-Normative and Co-Normative Research in CBRN Security
Integrating Human Factors and Societal Considerations for Emergency Response and International Assistance
eNOVATION's Strategy for Long-Term Viability of Training Center Networks targeting a sustainable future