NATIONAL PLAN FOR RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT & INNOVATION - PNCDI III (2017 - 2024) / Strategy for national participation in the new European context for coordinating security and space industry research

Strategy for national participation in the new European context for coordinating security and space industry research

ICI Project Coordinator: Dr. Eng. Adrian Victor VEVERA – Scientific Researcher II

Project description

This project aims to develop a document that will propose a coherent action plan and mechanisms for improving national research and development activities as well as fostering integration into European and global trends and opportunities within the evolution of the NATO and EU partnership framework. Recent security developments and European initiatives to develop a framework dedicated to the security and space industry (the new Directorate-General for Defense and Space Industry - DEFI, Permanent Structured Cooperation, European Defense Fund, EU Space Program Agency) call for the need to adapt the Romanian efforts to the new conditions, in order to maximize the value created and to integrate nationally within strategic projects and trends. The important resources allocated by the European Union for strategic programs related to the security and space area generate significant opportunities for the institutional, academic and private actors from Romania. They are thus able to access research funds and to join important European consortia. Among these opportunities, we list the allocation for security and space of 20% of Horizon Europe funds worth 85 billion euros in the period 2021-2027, 8 billion euros allocated to the European Defense Fund and 14.85 billion euro for the EU space program. The project is coordinated by the Romanian Space Agency, and the consortium consists of nine more partner institutions, in addition to ICI Bucharest: Ferdinand I Military Technical Academy, the Agency for Research on Military Technology, the Institute of Space Studies, INCAS, COMOTI, Politehnica University of Bucharest, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest and the Institute for Advanced Technologies.

Overall objectives of the project

  • identifying national research priorities and competences in the field of security and space industry related to European research policies in these fields (DG Defense Industry and Space; European Space Agency; DG Research and Innovation; DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology; European Defense Agency etc.);
  • elaboration of the national strategy in the fields of security and space industry for the new strategic planning cycle (2021-2027);
  • defining, promoting and supporting the implementation (identifying financial sources / instruments, providing expertise, etc.) of research topics of national interest;
  • integration of national policies and activities in the fields of security and space industry in the evolving international context.

The result of the project will be a framework deliverable document, which will be the effective RDI strategy in the fields of security and space industry, with a series of annexes and secondary documents that will be developed during the project. These will include a list of competence centers and other research and development infrastructure, to support efforts to implement the measures proposed in the strategy. Another deliverable will be an analysis of reference documents at European and national level in the areas of analysis that would justify the proposed measures and approaches and provide supporting material for decision makers during the implementation of the strategy.

Short description

This project aims to develop a document that will propose a coherent action plan and mechanisms for improving national research and development activities as well as fostering integration into European and global trends and opportunities within the evolution of the NATO and EU partnership framework.