On 23 October 2017, UIC joined ‘2E!SAC’ – a non-profit association for improving vital infrastructure resilience in Europe.
2E!SAC contributes to bringing together European research and development institutions and organisations, public authorities, critical infrastructure (CI) operators as well as other stakeholders in the field of critical infrastructure protection and resilience R&D in order to promote the best possible framework conditions for innovation in this area. This includes the establishment of a common and regular basis for discussion with representatives of national, European and international organisations and institutions. 2E!SAC helps to convey the prominent importance of critical infrastructure protection and resilience R&D for our society to a broad public.
The aims of 2E!SAC are to promote science and research in the field of critical infrastructure protection and resilience as well as to promote disaster and civil protection. As a regular member of 2E!SAC, UIC will support the specific actions of the association:
a. Creation of conditions for the establishment of a collaborative platform that provides practical expertise and services for the European CI community to enhance CI resilience and to prepare for all hazards.
b. Fostering the establishment and collaboration of national instances of a platform for collaboration in CI (Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Centre (ISAC)).
c. Fostering the manifestation of the collaboration at the European level by introducing a European platform (EISAC – European infrastructure simulation and analysis centre).
d. Initiation and support of joint R&D activities.
e. Exchange and dissemination of knowledge.
f. Dissemination of Critical Infrastructure (CI) Protection and Resilience related knowledge and resources.
g. Information analysis and information exchange between the members about relevant developments.
h. Consulting CIP / CIR policy expert bodies.
These actions are in line with the “Integrated Railway Protection” framework which is carried out by the UIC Security Division and represent a follow-up after the successful completion of the EU projects CIPRNet (Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience Research Network) and PREDICT (PREparing for the Domino effect In Crisis siTuations). Moreover, crisis management and resilience of critical infrastructures will be a key security topic for UIC in 2018.
