Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SEREN 4 (SEcurity REsearch NCP network 4)
Reporting period: 2019-11-01 to 2021-08-31
SEREN4 aims to strengthen the capacities of and cooperation among Secure Societies NCPs and to provide high quality support and services to programme applicants and the security community at large with the view to enhancing participation in the security research and innovation area.
SEREN4 is a coordination and support action which aims at achieving the following specific objectives in its 36-month lifetime:
1. NCP capacity building: Improving NCP capacities and practices, and enhancing their knowledge primarily on topics related to the specificities of the security theme, taking into account different readiness levels and experience of Secure Societies NCPs in order to raise the overall standard of professionalism of SC7 NCPs services (WP2);
2. Targeted services for applicants: Providing applicants with up-to-date and exhaustive informationabout SC7, Horizon2020 and new FP9, and offering them various opportunities for learning, training,and networking, taking into account the diversity of actors that make up the Secure Societies constituency (including practitioners and newcomers) and the need to engage stakeholders from EU13 countries1 (WP3 and WP5)
3. NCP Networking and Cooperation: Enlarging and enriching the composition of the Secure Societies constituency, strengthening its internal ties, linking the SEREN4 network to new types of stakeholders to ensure regular exchange of knowledge and information and reinforce the transnational role of the network (WP4);
4. Awareness raising: Ensuring that the information about SC7, Horizon 2020 and new FP9 as well as about the project and it results effectively and timely reaches the target audience with the view to guaranteeing extended and high quality participation in Horizon 2020 and FP9 calls (WP5).
SEREN4 is a coordination and support action which aims at achieving the following specific objectives in its 36-month lifetime:
1. NCP capacity building: Improving NCP capacities and practices, and enhancing their knowledge primarily on topics related to the specificities of the security theme, taking into account different readiness levels and experience of Secure Societies NCPs in order to raise the overall standard of professionalism of SC7 NCPs services (WP2);
2. Targeted services for applicants: Providing applicants with up-to-date and exhaustive informationabout SC7, Horizon2020 and new FP9, and offering them various opportunities for learning, training,and networking, taking into account the diversity of actors that make up the Secure Societies constituency (including practitioners and newcomers) and the need to engage stakeholders from EU13 countries1 (WP3 and WP5)
3. NCP Networking and Cooperation: Enlarging and enriching the composition of the Secure Societies constituency, strengthening its internal ties, linking the SEREN4 network to new types of stakeholders to ensure regular exchange of knowledge and information and reinforce the transnational role of the network (WP4);
4. Awareness raising: Ensuring that the information about SC7, Horizon 2020 and new FP9 as well as about the project and it results effectively and timely reaches the target audience with the view to guaranteeing extended and high quality participation in Horizon 2020 and FP9 calls (WP5).
The work done during the first period of SEREN4 project, meaning from the 1st of May 2018 until the 31st of October 2019, ensured that all the objectives foreseen for this first time- frame and defined in the Description of Action (DoA) have been reached by the consortium.
Under WP1 'Project Management', the consortium has been reunited several times, from the beginning of the project, in order to allow a proper cooperation of beneficiaries and coordination of the project’s activities. Furthermore, the coordinator submitted a deliverable concerning quality assurance procedure that all partners should follow while delivering the reports for which they are directly responsible. In parallel, the WP leader elaborated the reimbursement conditions for allowing Secure Societies National Contact Points from associated partners to join SEREN4 events (e.g. trainings, fora). According to the DoA, an interim report was delivered at M9 in order to evaluate the activities and expenditures trends.
Under WP2 'NCP Capacity building', a first round of benchmarking has been launched, two trainings have been organised together with two different twinning activities, one webinar and one forum for SC7 National Contact Points have been organised.
Under WP3 'Strengthening Participation', one European Information Day was organised in close cooperation with the European Commission and the Research Executive Agency in March 2019 for the launch of the security call 2019 and, in conjunction with the Info Day, SEREN4 organised a very successful Brokerage Event, an Oral Pitch Session and a training for stakeholders. Furthermore, according to the Description of Action, the network organised a second brokerage event in Latvia and was involved as one of the main organisers of the SMI2G event. The SeReMa database has been updated according to the GDPR policy and the project consortium has provided a systematic update of H2020 SC7 calls’ results on trans-national, regional and national basis in the SC7 field to monitor sectorial performance.
Under WP4 'networking', the collaboration with several NCPs networks has been improved and consolidated together with with the Enterprise Europe Network. With reference to practitioners, SEREN4 has been included in the golden circle of practitioners at European Level and has been enclosed also in an online private space for networking, directly managed by the EC; on the other hand, the collaboration with security key players (e.g. EARTO, EOS) is constantly increasing, thanks also to the SMI2G event that is organised by several of these actors in close cooperation.
Under WP 5 'Dissemination and Communication', a very good dissemination strategy has been developed together with a brand new visual identity which includes the logo, the posters and other promotional materials and gadgets; furthermore, the project website has been properly updated. SEREN4 was represented at a number of EU and national events.
Under WP6 'Ethics', procedures for ensuring personal data protection have been established and included in a dedicated deliverable.
Under WP1 'Project Management', the consortium has been reunited several times, from the beginning of the project, in order to allow a proper cooperation of beneficiaries and coordination of the project’s activities. Furthermore, the coordinator submitted a deliverable concerning quality assurance procedure that all partners should follow while delivering the reports for which they are directly responsible. In parallel, the WP leader elaborated the reimbursement conditions for allowing Secure Societies National Contact Points from associated partners to join SEREN4 events (e.g. trainings, fora). According to the DoA, an interim report was delivered at M9 in order to evaluate the activities and expenditures trends.
Under WP2 'NCP Capacity building', a first round of benchmarking has been launched, two trainings have been organised together with two different twinning activities, one webinar and one forum for SC7 National Contact Points have been organised.
Under WP3 'Strengthening Participation', one European Information Day was organised in close cooperation with the European Commission and the Research Executive Agency in March 2019 for the launch of the security call 2019 and, in conjunction with the Info Day, SEREN4 organised a very successful Brokerage Event, an Oral Pitch Session and a training for stakeholders. Furthermore, according to the Description of Action, the network organised a second brokerage event in Latvia and was involved as one of the main organisers of the SMI2G event. The SeReMa database has been updated according to the GDPR policy and the project consortium has provided a systematic update of H2020 SC7 calls’ results on trans-national, regional and national basis in the SC7 field to monitor sectorial performance.
Under WP4 'networking', the collaboration with several NCPs networks has been improved and consolidated together with with the Enterprise Europe Network. With reference to practitioners, SEREN4 has been included in the golden circle of practitioners at European Level and has been enclosed also in an online private space for networking, directly managed by the EC; on the other hand, the collaboration with security key players (e.g. EARTO, EOS) is constantly increasing, thanks also to the SMI2G event that is organised by several of these actors in close cooperation.
Under WP 5 'Dissemination and Communication', a very good dissemination strategy has been developed together with a brand new visual identity which includes the logo, the posters and other promotional materials and gadgets; furthermore, the project website has been properly updated. SEREN4 was represented at a number of EU and national events.
Under WP6 'Ethics', procedures for ensuring personal data protection have been established and included in a dedicated deliverable.
SEREN4 implemented the following new tasks, not carried out before:
- Task on ‘Analysis of participation’ in SC7 in order to, inter alia, provide a systematic update of H2020 SC7 call results on trans-national, regional and national basis and identify key players in the SC7 field to monitor sectorial performance. The obtained results cross-fertilise project activities.
- Task on ‘Promoting synergies with practitioners’ that allows the consortium to adequately address the specific challenge of the topic, namely better integration of practitioners in R&I activities.
- Task dedicated to ‘Impact analysis’ in order to precisely assess the impact of the projects activities and shape future activities according to the results of the analysis.
- Task on ‘Materials for stakeholders’ aiming at providing NCPs clients with targeted, precise and comprehensive information about Horizon 2020, FP9, SC7 and related themes in a form of info sheets, guides, etc., with the overall aim of raising the success rate of
submitted proposals.
SEREN4 generates impact in four inter-connected areas, namely:
- Improvement and professionalization of NCP service which are consistent across the EU,
- Simplified access to Horizon 2020 calls,
- Lower entry barriers for newcomers,
- Higher quality of proposals submitted.
- Task on ‘Analysis of participation’ in SC7 in order to, inter alia, provide a systematic update of H2020 SC7 call results on trans-national, regional and national basis and identify key players in the SC7 field to monitor sectorial performance. The obtained results cross-fertilise project activities.
- Task on ‘Promoting synergies with practitioners’ that allows the consortium to adequately address the specific challenge of the topic, namely better integration of practitioners in R&I activities.
- Task dedicated to ‘Impact analysis’ in order to precisely assess the impact of the projects activities and shape future activities according to the results of the analysis.
- Task on ‘Materials for stakeholders’ aiming at providing NCPs clients with targeted, precise and comprehensive information about Horizon 2020, FP9, SC7 and related themes in a form of info sheets, guides, etc., with the overall aim of raising the success rate of
submitted proposals.
SEREN4 generates impact in four inter-connected areas, namely:
- Improvement and professionalization of NCP service which are consistent across the EU,
- Simplified access to Horizon 2020 calls,
- Lower entry barriers for newcomers,
- Higher quality of proposals submitted.