8<sup>th</sup> Interdisciplinary Workshop<br />on Global Security - WISG 2014

The Troyes University of Technology / 30-31 January 2014

Global security is defined¹ as the capability to ensure, for a given community and its members, an adequate level of prevention and protection against risks and threats, whatever their type and impact and whatever their origin. This capability must be exercised under conditions that promote development without disrupting everyday living and collective and individual activities.

Global security is a major issue for France and Europe that is considered from three aspects:

Societal. As testified by current events, the risks and threats that countries have to face are increasing in number and diversity.
Economic. Europe, and France and Germany in particular, are front-of-stage actors on the global security market, a market that is highly competitive and growing constantly.
Sovereignty. It would appear important to maintain a degree of sovereignty to respond to the needs of the state and of vitally important operators.

In this context, research in security is proving to be an indispensable driving force towards which ANR's CSOSG programme - Concepts, Systems and Tools for Global Security, and the security part of the European Union's 7th Framework Programme for Research & Development have substantially contributed.

WISG 2014

Each year since 2007 the Interdisciplinary Workshop on Global Security (WISG) brings together members of the security research community to review the situation and discuss recent results, particularly in the framework of the projects funded by ANR through the CSOSG programme.

The first seven WISG workshops fully demonstrated the relevance of having such an event, as much through the variety of subjects broached as through the diversity and complementarity of the participants, whether from the institutional, academic or industrial spheres. The regularly high level of participation (some 350 people register each year) confirms that the WISG workshop meets a true need for a cross-cutting forum and that it has become a major annual meeting fostering discussion and debate.

The organisation of a networking poster session means that WISG 2014 will provide the opportunity for those involved in research into security to prepare consortiums in view of the forthcoming Franco-German (ANR-BMBF) and European (Horizon 2020) calls for proposals. As people from the German security research scene are to participate, simultaneous translation from French into English will be available to foreign attendees.

Over and beyond the assessment of the work funded by ANR, WISG 2014 will also be an opportunity to present the many ongoing changes in France and Europe in terms of support for research into security.

2014, a pivotal year

2014 will be a year of transition for research in security at both French and European level. The creation of an industrial security sector in France aims at responding to the various issues linked to security, notably by contributing to the consistency of French research in this field.

For ANR, 2014 will also be a special year as it corresponds to a change in the conditions under which ANR functions. Programme planning will henceforth involve a generic annual call for proposals with selection taking place in 2 stages. This new mode of functioning, organised to a large extent around Major societal challenges, has seen the emergence of a Challenge dedicated to global security entitled "Freedom and security of Europe, its citizens and its residents". Continuing in the tracks of the CSOSG programme, the aim of this challenge is to help bring new solutions to ensure the security of French and European citizens and residents in a spirit of liberty and justice, consistent with national and European priorities and adopting an interdisciplinary approach.

In addition to ANR's generic call for proposals, a Franco-German call for proposals dedicated to the protection of critical infrastructures will be put out in 2014. It lies within the framework of the bilateral agreement initiated in 2009 between CSOSG programme of ANR and the "Research for Civil Security" programme of the BMBF (German Federal Ministry of Research and Education). 11 joint projects have already been funded under this agreement.

Lastly, on the European front, 2014 will see the launching of Horizon 2020, the new framework programme for research which will span from 2014 to 2020 and includes a "Secure Societies" challenge that is dedicated to research into security.

¹ By the Institut National des Hautes Études de Sécurité et Justice (French National Institute for Higher Studies in Security and Justice), 2003