Projects in Operations

PsyResK ("Psychosocial Resilience in Critical Infrastructures") is a KIRAS-funded project that enables a diverse consortium (AIT, Datenkompass, Diakonie de La Tour, GÖG), led by the University of Innsbruck, to develop concrete steps for enhancing resilience in the healthcare sector. These steps are designed to benefit all levels (employees, management, policy makers) and will be outlined in a catalogue of potential measures. The catalogue will take into account different settings, as well as geographical, organizational, and sociodemographic diversity, tailored to the Austrian context. The measures will be implemented following a roadmap, prioritizing different actions and providing a practical guide for effective and targeted measures across Austria’s healthcare system. 

The Austrian Red Cross (AutRC) is involved in the project as practitioner partner. In collaboration with academic partners, the AutRC contributes to the scientific analysis of vulnerable groups in health sector. Based on best practice examples from operational experience, the AutRC works with project partners and experts to gather and to analyze insights, providing internal knowledge specific to various groups for the development of the implementation plan and roadmap. This contributes to the potential for further implementation within the organization. 

Through a participatory process of developing recommendations and strategies, the Austrian Red Cross supports to strengthen the network of relevant stakeholders in Austria’s crisis management landscape, including all authorities and organizations with security responsibilities (called “BOS”). Additionally, the AutRC contributes for standardized tasks within the project consortium and is actively involved in the dissemination of project results within internal and partner networks.  

Hard Facts:  

• This project is funded by the Austrian security research program KIRAS of the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF).
• Project period: 24 months (October 2024 – September 2026)  

Project webpage: www.powerbaseproject.eu

POWERBASE is a one-year project, supported by the European Union in the framework of the Horizon Europe research and innovation program. Led by German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) and ARTTIC together with in total 8 European response organisations (ASSR, AutRC, CNNVF, GB, HCSOM, MoI-F, MSB) and partners with legal and scientific expertise (FHG, KEMEA, VIEIRA) the objective is to lay the groundwork for the future development and public procurement of low-emission energy solutions tailored to the needs of emergency response organisations (EROs). POWERBASE offers an assessment of needs of emergency operations under different circumstances relating to three use case scenarios such as wildfires in very hot climatic conditions, cross-border flooding with a high number of displaced people, and an earthquake scenario in a rural mountainous region.

POWERBASE aims to create a community of European Emergency Response Organisations (EROs) and innovative energy solution providers, mapping together requirements and available technologies.

Austrian Red Cross (AutRC) participates with its expertise as practitioner in Disaster and Humanitarian Relief as well as Civil Protection on national, EU- and international level complimented by experience in PCP. Besides contribution to all project tasks, AutRC is leading the assessment of (unmet) needs and requirements.

Hard facts:

• Funding program: Horizon Europe Cluster 3 Coordination and Support Actions (Grant Agreement No 101167787)
• Implementation: 12 months (October 2024 - September 2025)

Project webpage: www.direktion-network.org

DIREKTION with its international and interdiscplinary team aims to strengthen the part of practitioners from Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Fire Services by 2030 in their role in European Security research. Together with academic researchers, industrial partners and policy makers the focus and funding instruments for innovative and affordable solutions will be evaluated and further developed.

Standardised processes for needs and requirements analysis, as well as analysis tools for project results and tools are developed within the project, accompanied by creation and testing of new methods in evaluating and settlement of future funding priorities.

The Austrian Red Cross contributes as a member of the consortium with its expertise in security related research and with its well established link and network to (inter-)national practitioner partners.

Hard facts: 

• Funding program: Horizon Europe Cluster 3 Increased Foresight Capacity for Security (CSA), (Grant Agreement No 101121249)
• Implementation: 36 months (October 2023 - September 2026)

CORE (sCience & human factOr for Resilient sociEty) is a multidisciplinary consortium with focus on secure societies where citizens are facing increasingly threatening situations. Recent natural and man-made disasters have highlighted gaps in European society's preparedness for disasters and the importance of raising risk awareness. Raising awareness would have ensured a direct positive impact on citizens and an organizational resilience among people and decision-makers in Europe. Core has three main goals: Measure, Control and Mitigate. That is providing fundamental knowledge to enhance awareness, knowledge, and actions on the role of human factors and Social, societal, and organizational aspects in risk awareness, risk perception, disaster risk management and recovery of communities from disasters. 

Within the framework of the project, seven case studies are being investigated 

1. Terrorist Attack, 
2. Earthquake, 
3. Flash Flooding, 
4. Wildfire, 
5. Tsunami, 
6. Industrial Accident, 
7. Pandemic 

(learn more on the website) by a comparative analyses. Furthermore, students from partner countries will compete against each other by creating an app to increase disaster awareness. 

Hard Facts: 

• Funding program: Research- and innovation program EU-Horizon 2020 

• Implementation: 36 months (October 2021 – September 2024) 

• 19 Partners – 11 Countries – 80+ researchers 

Project partners from academic (UniVie, UAS Technikum Vienna, DCNA), industrial (BOC) and first responder (Styrian fire fighters associaton, Fire brigade of Pinkafeld, Austrian Red Cross) origin lead by Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) aim to develop tools for better planning, execution and evaluation of exercises for first responders within MEASURE (Monitoring Exercises using Ai-SUpport for Reliable Evaluation) project.  

Developing sensors and data modelling processes for table-top (TTX) as well as full scale exercises (FSX) will lead to stronger technically supported scenario planning of exercises including definition of key performance indicators. Tools to support trainers, observers and evaluators of exercises are created for more sustainable feedback followed by added value for learnings of first responders. Therefore, an integrated project progress involving a user-driven approach for technology-development and bilateral knowledge exchange will be established. 

The Austrian Red Cross (AutRC) together with the Regional Office in Vienna contributes to “MEASURE” with its expertise and experience in planning exercises and mass casualties by defining needs and requirements from end-user-perspective. Additionally, AutRC takes responsibility together with end-user-partners to conduct test iterations and the final pilot exercise. 

Hard Facts: 

• This project is funded by the Austrian security research program KIRAS of the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF). 

• Project period: 24 months (November 2022 – October 2024) 

TRANSCEND (Transdisciplinary methods for societal impact assessment and impact creation for security research technologies) aims to improve practices of citizen and societal engagement in security research and innovation - to enable individuals, and organizations that speak on their behalf, to participate actively and creatively in the iterative processes of design and deployment. TRANSCEND will develop a Toolbox of methods to enhance the involvement of civil society in security research and innovation. The Toolbox will be tested and evaluated in four pilot domain areas: 

1. Cybersecurity (CS) 
2. Disaster resilient societies (DRS)  
3. Fighting crime and terrorism (FCT) 
4. Border security management (BM)  

In a close collaboration with diverse ‘on the ground’ organizations by bringing together transdisciplinary actors from academia, government, industry, and society, TRANSCEND will contribute to the uptake of effective methods for citizen and societal engagement throughout the EU. This will give the civil society a visible and a louder voice, a place at the right tables and in turn, encourage and equip security practitioners enhance such participation.

The Austrian Red Cross contributes as a member of the consortium with its expertise in pilot exercises and as an end user. The AutRC focus in this project is in domain 2 of disaster resilient societies.

Hard facts:  

• Funding program: Support to Security Research and Innovation 2021 EU-HORIZON-2021;

• Implementation: 36 months (October 2022 - September 2025)

Project website: https://rescuerproject.eu/ 

RESCUER project aims to develop an user-centered toolkit for next generation of first responders to ensure operational capacities and strengthen safety aspects in the field – especially in adverse conditions. 

By adapting the “HERO” (enHanced nEw eRa first respOnder) concept the RESCUER toolkit will offer enhanced senses and precise self-positioning even in infrastructure-less surroundings. Cognitive load balance and robust ad-hoc communications as well as signs of life detection will support efficient assessments on scene and in C2 (command / control) for first responder operations. The toolkit with all modules will be tested and evaluated in different stages of development by lab and field trials as well as twice in three different scenarios (earthquake, tunnel, mountain area) set up as pilot trainings for first responders. 

The project consortium is built by a variety of different stakeholders from several European countries and sectors – such as universities, tech partners and end users – lead by Universidad Politecnica Madrid (Spain). 

Hard Facts zum Projekt 

• This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 101021836 

• Project duration: 36 months (July 2021-June 2024) 

The MRespond-project aims to create a „mutli-user mixed reality system” to train operational and command staff of first responders (fire brigades, emergency medical services, armed forces). Lead by the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) the consortium consists of partners from technical research and innovation as well as civil and military operational organizations. 

Focusing on the opportunity to train virtual hazards in a physical training environment enabling unrestricted movement and interaction with virtual and real items the flow of simulation will be technically refined to enable control and adaption within two pilot simulations. The mixed-reality environment and setting is going to reduce the effort for preparing and executing simulations and for raising the number of possible training participants. 

Target groups for the proposed mixed reality-training are operational staff members as well as commanders of different technical, tactical, and hierarchical levels of the first responder organizations.  

The Austrian Red Cross as member of the consortial partners is contributing to this project with its expertise and experience in planning and carrying out exercises and major incident operations. Furthermore, the consortium is elaborating end user-requirements for mixed-reality-scenarios and executing their implementation in pilot trainings. 

Hard Facts: 

• This project is funded by the Austrian security research programme KIRAS of the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF). 

• Project period: 24 months (November 2021 – October 2023) 

Project website: http://darenetproject.eu/ 

DAREnet is a network of practitioners dealing with flood resilience in the Danube River Region, supported by a continuously evolving multi-disciplinary community of stakeholders consisting of policy makers, academics, industry and many more.  

The project enables Flood Management Practitioners in the Danube River Region to: 

• Connect and exchange with national and European stakeholders in a collaborative environment 

• Identify and analyse by and for themselves relevant innovation gaps 

• Translate the gaps into a joint innovation strategy to improve flood resilience in the future  

The Austrian Red Cross supports establishing the networks as member of the consortium. 

Hard facts: 

• Funding scheme: Research and Innovation Programme EU-Horizon 2020 

• Implementation: 60 months (May 2017 – April 2022) 

project-webpage: www.ironore.eu 

The IRONORE project aimed to test response of modules of the European Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM) and the collaboration of First and Second Responder Organizations in deployment areas such as alpine regions. Main tasks were to develop, plan and conduct two exercises as well as several iterative workshops. 

A participant driven Full Scale Exercise (FSE) including real-life-setting was conducted in the region of Eisenerz (Styria / Austria) in September 2019 involving more than 1.000 participants. 

The Austrian Red Cross led the IRONORE project and built the bridge to DRIVER+ project. 

Hard Facts: 

• This project has received co-funding from the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism 

• Project period: 18 months (Februar 2019 – September 2020)