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Mario Drobics becomes President of the European Platform for Secure Communications in Civil Protection and Emergency Response (PSCE)
Vienna/Brussels - Dr Mario Drobics, Head of the Competence Unit "Cooperative Digital Technologies" at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, has been elected as the new President of the Public Safety Communication Europe Forum (PSCE). The Europe-wide platform plays a central role in the development of secure and interoperable communication systems for public safety authorities and organisations. Mario Drobics succeeds David Lund, whom he warmly thanked for his dedicated work in the interests of a strong, networked Europe in the field of public safety.
With Drobics, an Austrian technology expert is taking on a leading role in the EU's security policy environment with a focus on strengthening European crisis communication and digital resilience. "The PSCE is much more than a network - it is a bridge between the real requirements of emergency response organisations and the innovative power of industry and research. Only through this dialogue at eye level can future-proof, European solutions be created that really work in crisis situations," explains Drobics.
A current example of the strategic relevance of the PSCE is its involvement in the development of the new EU initiative for Critical Communication Systems (EUCCS). This initiative is anchored in the work programme of EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner and aims to establish secure and highly available communication systems for disaster and crisis management - across national and departmental boundaries. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also recently emphasised the strategic importance of this initiative to strengthen the European security architecture. The PSCE is supporting this process from the outset, for example by defining requirements, helping to shape technical architectures and liaising with end users.
"I see it as my task to network the PSCE even more closely with other EU initiatives in the future - especially in the areas of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and European data spaces, such as those being developed by Gaia-X or the AI Continent Action Plan," says Drobics.
The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is a long-standing PSCE member and contributes extensive expertise in areas such as secure communication technologies, crisis and disaster management, digital infrastructures, state-of-the-art sensor technology and trustworthy AI. The aim is to translate research results quickly and profitably into practical solutions for the public sector, business and industry and to strengthen Austria as a business location in the global security field by generating competitive advantages.
About the PSCE
The Public Safety Communications Europe Forum (PSCE) was founded in 2008 as the result of a project funded by the European Commission. Since then, the PSCE has developed into an independent forum bringing together representatives from public safety organisations, industry and research institutions to discuss and share ideas and best practices, develop roadmaps and improve the future of public safety communications.
The PSCE is a permanent, autonomous organisation committed to promoting excellence in the development and application of public safety communications and information management systems through consensus building.
Further information: https://www.psc-europe.eu/