Success of the PSCE Conference in Brussels in the Face of Uncertainty

The PSCE Conference took place on the 30th of November and 1st of December 2021 in Brussels in collaboration with the Belgian Federal Police.

Despite a difficult context with COVID cases ramping up in Belgium and the implementation of new national measures only a few days before kick-off, the conference was maintained. Although the event had to be relocated last minute, it turned out to be successful, providing a platform for around 80 participants to meet, share and discuss on key topics in Public Safety and disaster management.

“It was very important for us to maintain this conference and offer our members and the public safety community an opportunity to finally meet and discuss in “real life”. Of course online meetings are useful but they do not allow for the same degree of interaction and sharing of knowledge, which are key elements in our conferences” stated Marie-Christine Bonnamour Secretary-General of PSCE

The scale, frequency and unpredictability of crises seem to be increasing and the resulting consequences are becoming more and more dramatic. All actors involved in such crises, from public authorities to solution providers, are concerned and constantly seek to better prevent and minimize their impact. The conference was attended by a variety of EU officials and experts (DG CNECT, DG ECHO, DG HOME, ESA) who provided valuable policy insights relevant to the themes and topics addressed.

During the course of the conference, some of the most topical issues were addressed in public safety communications including:Artificial Intelligence, how to enhance First Responders’ Situational Awareness; Climate Emergency, how to improve preparedness ; Mission Critical Applications using broadband communication. In addition, numerous projects and products were presented, creating a clustering of exchange for innovative solutions in public safety.

The debates triggered by the topics at PSCE Conference will certainly contribute to improving the efficiency of public safety operations and PSCE is happy to be part of this drive. All conference documents as well as the recording are made available to conference participants and to PSCE Institutional Members. A report and overview video will be issued at a later stage.