Specific Challenge:

Satellite communications is an important tool for public authorities active in domains such as border surveillance and management, crisis and disaster management, detecting and monitoring forest fires, monitoring and controlling illegal activities, protection of critical infrastructures, and humanitarian aid. This is particularly the case when ground-based communication links are damaged (e.g. earthquakes, hurricanes), absent (such as in remote areas or in the maritime domain), or cannot be trusted (e.g. in Common Security and Defence operations outside the EU). In many of those domains public authorities require secure and guaranteed access to satellite communications. However, many governmental users (e.g. fire brigades, civil protection workers, and border management actors) are currently not benefitting from the full potential in the domain of satellite communications. Research and innovation actions, in particular in terms of user technologies, interoperability and standards need to be developed early enough to enable governmental users to profit from the increasing governmental satellite communications services.

Scope:

A network of governmental users of secure satellite communications shall be set up with the aim to establish collaboration on aspects in the user domain of governmental satellite communications, such as research and innovation on user equipment, the study and comparison of existing and innovative use-cases, interoperability and standardisation. The network shall also identify and share good practices in the deployment and use of satellite communications by governmental actors in the Member States and in EU institutions, agencies and entities.

Activities shall be tailored to the priorities of governmental satellite communications users, including, inter alia

• Survey of available satcom user equipment, future user technologies, and potential need for standardisation;
• The study and comparison of existing and innovative use-cases and evolving user needs and requirements, and where relevant and feasible, associated tests in laboratory or field test environments;
• Consolidated long-term roadmap and coordination plan for research and innovation relating to secure governmental satellite communication;
• Workshops, in particular involving relevant entities who are not participants of the consortium;
• Specific training linked to satellite communications, for example to share good practices;
• Cross-border twinning schemes, such as field tests.

Special attention will be given to enhance the competence of potential users in the domain of secure satellite communications, including helping less experienced users to rapidly acquire the know-how accumulated in other countries.

The participation to the network of national representatives appointed by EU Member States, responsible for federating and coordinating the inputs from the respective national civilian users, is mandatory. They shall cooperate with relevant EU agencies and entities involved in the use of satellite communications or user equipment (e.g. Frontex, GSA, EMSA, ENISA, CEPOL, Europol, Eurojust, EDA, SATCEN, EEAS, JRC).

The Commission considers that one proposal requesting a contribution from the EU in the range of EUR 3 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

This topic contributes to the Horizon 2020 focus area “Boosting the effectiveness of the Security Union “.

Expected Impact:

• Common understanding of user needs, and potential for innovation, including interoperability, and standardisation in the use of satellite communications by EU and Member State users.
• Enhanced synergies in the uptake of governmental satellite communication solutions among users from different disciplines, backgrounds and Member States.
• More efficient use of investments made across the EU in demonstrating, testing and training governmental satellite communication users.
• Outputs from this project may benefit future EU programmes in this domain.

Types of action:	CSA Coordination and support action
DeadlineModel:  Planned opening date:	single-stage 16 October 2018	Deadline:	12 March 2019

Source: Horizon 2020 – The European Commission