Next generation of information systems to support EU external policies

Duration: 01/05/2018 – 30/04/2022   |   Total Funding: € 11.109.643

Challenge & Objectives

The 2016 European Union Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy (EUGS) highlights the need to enhance external policies by pursuing better communication, information-sharing, joint reporting, analysis and response planning between member state embassies, EU delegations, Commission services, EU Special Representatives and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions. The CIVILnEXt project supports the development of a solution addressing existing “fragmentation” and closing “gaps”. To provide civilian CSDP missions with the next generation of secure and cost-effective information systems: a situational awareness, information exchange and operation control platform (OCP).

Fully informed of contributing initiatives in civilian CSDP and EU external action, the project will aim to develop solutions leveraging on the results extracted from projects funded by the EU. The common challenge in CIVILnEXt is to develop, test and validate a cost-effective and interoperable operation control platform (OCP) that will support the conduct of civilian CSDP missions. The OCP will improve coordination in EU external action through better information exchange, situational awareness and operation control in diverse theaters of operation. It will support the EU’s comprehensive approach in complex missions, including the civil-military cooperation within CSDP, facilitate the engagement CSDP actors, creating links EU Delegations, FRONTEX, ECHO and other EU activities, member states, as appropriate, and other partners such as the UN and regional organisations.

CIVILnEXt engages the participation of four national competent authorities, active in EU external policies and the UN organisations IOM. They share the need to become beneficiaries of procurement results that enhance the effectiveness of civilian CSDP. They are co-financing the action under one single joint procurement, supported by technical and policy advisors, with extensive CSDP experience.

As part of the activities undertaken within the framework of the project, eBOS will lead WP6 that comprises the solutions design revision and low-level design verification. Supported by the consortium’s technical partners, eBOS will lead the review of the documentation generated by the contractors.
 

Moreover, eBOS will:

1

Support the development of the operation control platform (OCP) specifications and the high level architecture of the solutions that will be included in the terms of reference of the tender.

2

Contribute to the verification and validation strategy definition and the integration and interoperability strategy.

3

Contribute to the technical management of the pre-commercial procurement (PCP).

4

Assist the Verification & Validation Committee that will be responsible to evaluate from the technical point of view the results of PCP Phase 2.

5

Contribute to the technical evaluation of the solutions implemented, and the validation process and analysis of the operational validity of the results.

6

Contribute to the costs breakdown analysis and the study of economic viability and affordability, contribute to the final evaluation of the project results.

7

Contribute with communications and work achievements of the project.

8

Support the activities to recruit industrial partners involving them in the project activities, contribution to the IPR, licensing and exploitation plan from the private sector point of view.

Consortium

Kentro Meleton Asfaleias

Ministerio Del Interior

Ministry of National Defence of Greece

Ustanova -Center Za Evropsko Prihodnost

Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, Cyprus

International Organization For Migration

European Union Satelite Centre

Atos Spain SA

eBOS Technologies Limited

European Centre For Development Policy Management

Istituto Affari Internazionali

Sheffield Hallam University

Rheinische Fachhochschule Koln GGMBH

National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos” Integrated Systems Laboratory

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No. 786886.