Supporting and research activities for the International Forum to Advance First Responder Innovation (IFAFRI)

IFAFRI is an organisation of international government leaders focused on enhancing and expanding the development of affordable and innovative technology for first responders worldwide.

IFAFRI helps the world’s first responders conduct their work more effectively, safely and efficiently by providing information that may influence the global market to develop affordable and innovative technology for first responders. The Forum aims to resolve a twofold impediment to innovation. It provides a centralised mechanism for first responders to identify and discuss shared needs or capability gaps at a global level and helps first responder agencies to purchase tools and equipment in larger quantities by ‘pooling’ needs and gaps. To achieve these objectives, the Forum relies on a Project Management Office (PMO) that supports the Forum Chair in the development, organisation and management of the various Forum activities. Since 2017, the European Commission has chaired the initiative after the United States (Department of Homeland Security) initiated and led the Forum for three years. Ecorys has successfully ran the PMO for more than a year and provides support to the Forum Chair Anabela Gago (DG HOME, Head of Unit ‘Innovation and Industry for Security’).

Ecorys also supports the three working Committees. An additional Committee Chairs Coordination meetings and the organisation of several IFAFRI events including an Annual Forum meeting. The Committees are the Forum’s working groups and cover the three topics laid out in its objectives. These are First Responder Research & Development, Capability Gaps and Stakeholder Engagement. Ecorys is also responsible for stakeholder engagement activities and is planning to conceptualise and organise a European Stakeholder Summit in 2019, in Brussels, featuring up to 200 participants. These will come predominantly from the private sector and the innovation community for the first responders and security sector.

For more information:

https://www.internationalresponderforum.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmzKM9C1JHY&feature=youtu.be