Could you give an overview of PSCE for those who don’t know. What work does the organisation carry out, and what is its history?

The Public Safety Communication Europe forum, headquartered in Brussels, was founded in 2008 and is an independent association of - mainly European - manufacturers, users and research institutes in the field of public safety.

Among other things, it is a perfect environment for the exchange of content, especially on current topics and new technologies. The forum also leads individual research projects, bringing research institutes, industry, and users together to promote new technologies and make corresponding solutions available for the market.

It is also considered an expert forum and is requested by EU-related organisations as a guide for funding schemes or other issues. Frequentis has been a member of the forum for several years and I am proud to be part of it. Together we have become a powerful circle of excellence since the forum launched.

Can you give a recent examples of that work?                       

As a board member of PSCE I am responsible, together with other board members, for PSCE’s position on topics like standardisation, broadband communication, and new technologies for PPDR. Our conferences are held twice a year, and we also have projects and collaboration with other organisations.   

As chair of the industry committee, it’s my job to represent positions that a majority in the committee or in the forum itself supports. My responsibility is to address needs and topics of our industry members; to help introduce them to, and engage them with, new technologies provided by research; and to have a better understanding of the requests and trends set by the end users.

In my role, I must take a more neutral position on Frequentis so that I can better represent the interests of all manufacturers. On the one hand, my task is to promote the pre-competitive cooperation of the industry members, to represent the positions of the PSCE to the outside world, but on the other hand, to inform the members about new events, funding opportunities and open calls. I will organise workshops, design conference programs and webinars, and promote partnership programs with the aim of strengthening the European Public Safety Communications industry as a whole.

As president, what are you plans for the organisation? What are your top priorities?

As president, I will follow in my predecessors' footsteps to continue boosting research projects, connecting scientific basic research to trials with rapid prototyping into industry products that meet the needs of the end users.

Together we will foster further trials, host meetings with governmental representatives of European states to answer legal, regulatory and organisational aspects for new technologies. Our conferences held every six months are an excellent platform where all members are invited to come together to exchange ideas and start new projects and development, showcase new results in research and industry, discuss operational aspects of PPDR and create a voice that is heard in Europe on matters like Standardisation of Broadband communication for European-wide solutions, carefully selecting and introducing new technologies for PPDR, increasing their efficiency e.g. when facing increasing numbers of disasters caused by climate change.

I would like to create and promote an environment in which industry, researchers and users work closely together to be able to use new ideas to benefit all. All members should have the opportunity to contribute their views and wishes so that the forum can be of the greatest possible use to the majority.

In short - I want to give back to the group what they did for us in 2019: offer opportunities to create great things together. Projects like Horizon 2020 Broadway project – the first and biggest PCP (Pre Procurement Project) in security, executed by PSCE and recognised and recommended by EU Commission multiple times – has shown how tremendously important it is to bring end users, industry and research together to find the right way forward with the next generation of mission critical communication.