On 23 and 24 September, was held in the Belgian city of Leuven the kick-off meeting of the European eNOVATION project, financed by European funds as part of the Horizon Europe framework programme.
The eNOVATION project (Extended Network of CBRN Training Centres for Innovation), coordinated by the Belgian National Crisis Centre (NCCN), aims to extend and strengthen the network of training centres specialising in emergency planning and crisis management related to nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical (NRBC) threats.
ADELFAS took part in the meeting, presenting the scope of its collaboration in the project, which will consist of leading the evaluation of Biological and Chemical (BC) technologies, focusing on: their application in the field and in the training of first responders, emergency teams and CBRN training centres in the management of this type of incident. In addition, it will coordinate the operating strategy and oversee the creation of an external working group made up of technology suppliers from its network of collaborators, with a focus on strengthening the Spanish presence through specialist SMEs such as IBATECH, experts and end users in the CBRN sector.
ADELFAS, a not-for-profit association, will be working over the next three years with a consortium of more than 22 partners from 12 European countries and 4 associated countries such as Morocco, Georgia, Armenia and Uzbekistan.
The ambition of eNOVATION is high: It aims to transform the existing network of CBRN training centres into a sustainable European capability, to train first responders and emergency teams in the use of current and emerging technologies (e.g. BC decontamination solutions), to develop advanced training methods, to provide improved response capabilities through new practices and easy-to-use tools in both virtual and field environments, and to involve training centres in EU Member States and CBRN centres of excellence in partner countries. The objective is to create a vast network specialising in CBRN crisis prevention and management to advance European security.
The European Commission is funding the project to the tune of €4,498,744 through Horizon Europe, as part of the call for projects on a disaster-resilient society for Europe, and more specifically in Cluster3, ‘Civil Security for Society’.