Description

FOCUS will allow designing European security research to effectively cope with future EU roles responding to tomorrow’s challenges resulting from the globalization of risks, threats and vulnerabilities. It will do so through the elaboration of multiple scenarios based on IT-supported foresight in the form of alternative futures that are plausibility-probed and not just threat scenarios. FOCUS will design and apply an “embedded scenario” integrating method, delineating options for future tracks and broadened concepts of security research within context scenarios for EU roles to respond to transversal challenges (whose causes are exogenous, but whose consequences will be experienced within the EU). This will be performed along five big themes: 1) different tracks of a comprehensive approach as followed by European institutions, Member States and international strategic actors, particularly including linkages between the internal and external dimension of security; 2) natural disasters and environment-related hazards, focused on comprehensive risk reduction, civil protection and reconstruction; 3) critical infrastructure and supply chain protection, centred on preventing and responding to malicious attacks on EU citizens and utilities abroad as well as to meet threats before they reach the EU or affect the supply chain; 4) the EU as a global actor based on the wider Petersberg Tasks, building on EU and member states instruments and capability processes; 5) the evolution of the EU’s internal framework and prerequisites for delivering a comprehensive approach, including Lisbon treaty provisions and relevant strategies (e.g. for engagement with other international actors) as well as ethical acceptability and public acceptance. FOCUS will deliver (a) an IT Platform with tools and infrastructure for designing, applying, evaluating and managing scenarios for research planning, (b) populated with scenarios and analyses; (c) a roadmap with new tracks for security research.

Details

Duration 01/04/2011 - 31/03/2013
Funding EU
Program 7. Rahmenprogramm
Logo - European Union
Department

Department for E-Governance and Administration

Center for E-Governance

Principle investigator for the project (University for Continuing Education Krems) Assoz. Prof. Mag. Dr. Walter Seböck, MAS MSc
Project members
Mag. Dr. Johann Höchtl
Michael Zehndorfer

Publications

Seböck, W. (2013). A new world disorder. In: in Druck: 5-11, Wissenschaftsverlag, Beograd

BENESCH, TH.; GOELLNER, J.; PEER, A.; HOECHTL, J.; SEBOECK, W. (2013). SCENARIO SPACE FOR ALTERNATIVE FUTURES OF SECURITY RESEARCH. Procon Ltd., I&S Journal, Procon Ltd., Sofia

Benesch, T.; Göllner, J.; Höchtl, J.; Peer, A.; Seböck, W. (2012). Concept for Scenario-Development for Foresight Security Scenarios: Mapping Research to a Comprehensive Approach to Exogenous EU Roles. Springer

Lectures

Horizon Scanning, foresighting & scenario development: Future challenges

FOCUS Final Symposium, 01/02/2013

Key note speach: "Security 2035 and beyond"

Management Development in Central and Sout-East Europe, 19/11/2012

Open Government Data - Security Risk or Mean for Threat Prevention

FOCUS Mid Term Symposium, 13/03/2012

Alternative futures of security research in support of a comprehensive approach

FOCUS Winter School, 12/03/2012

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