Project

The ETTIS project has the following aims:

• to identify, understand and assess in a scenarios framework future threats, needs and opportunities for societal security,
  

• to develop and test a methodological approach and model for a revolving process of security research priority setting,
  

• to derive research priorities geared towards the needs of user organizations, as well as rationales and options for policy intervention, and
  

• to help increase awareness of and attention to security research results, and contribute to overcoming barriers by advancing and testing a range of intelligence tools and techniques.
  

ETTIS relies on a comprehensive concept of security encompassing both technological and non-technological opportunities as well as emerging security-related ethical, cultural and organizational challenges. It conducts a comprehensive analysis of completed, on-going and planned security research projects, while combining different research methodologies: theoretical and empirical, analytical and participatory. Future threats and associated needs of security organizations are explored in context and situational scenarios.

The identification and assessment of opportunities for enhancing societal security is conducted within the context of these scenarios. The options identified are assessed in a stakeholder process, aiming to identify collective priorities. Needs and options for policy intervention are explored, with a particular emphasis on European policy. The work is embedded in a generalized methodological framework and learning environ-ment for threat- and opportunity-based priority setting, which will serve to update the European security research agenda.

The constant interaction with key stakeholders and the dissemination of the project results to a wide security audience is of paramount importance to ETTIS. A multidisciplinary group of experts and a user reflection group will guide ETTIS on research issues and lines of inquiry to follow and questions to address as the project progresses.

ETTIS is built on the following knowledge areas, in which its partners are international leaders:

• Conceptualization of security,
  

• Identification and evaluation of future threats,
  

• Coping with complexity and uncertainties,
  

• Opportunities for societal security,
  

• Priority setting and policy rationales.
  

ETTIS expects to improve the situation awareness of different stakeholders – governments, industry, academia, civil society organizations, the media and the public, and provide them with the necessary methods to make improved assessments alternative investment options for societal security.