In October 2020, TPEB ČR starts the implementation of the Critical Infrastructure Protection II project. The main goal of the project is to connect the capabilities and needs of the corporate and research sphere reflecting the strategic needs and interests of infrastructure companies and state administration in the context of research and development projects in connection with the successfully solved Energy and Cyber Security (OPPI) and Critical Infrastructure Protection (OPPIK) projects. The key motive is to increase the participation of Czech companies in project consortia seeking projects from the H2020 and Horizon Europe programs.
TPEB ČR has long profiled itself as an organization focusing on the issue of critical infrastructure protection, which is rightly captured as an important topic in national and supranational strategic documents. From the point of view of research and development, this is not only a fundamental challenge but also an opportunity that reflects the growing interconnectedness and virtualization of this world. TPEB ČR perceives this opportunity especially in the context of research and development projects, in which it involves member and non-member companies and institutions. As part of this project, TPEB wants to support the innovative efforts of Czech institutions and companies through their involvement in international consortia seeking large projects under the H2020 program, respectively. Horizon Europe. Statistics have long shown that Czech companies in particular are not significantly represented in the H2020 consortia (FP 6/7). In some parameters, the Czech Republic is even among the last countries within the EU. At the same time, it is necessary to perceive the fact that large research and development projects have major impacts in the field of policy-making and especially in the field of standard-setting. Through projects, successful applicants can represent wider Czech interests and thus cultivate an expert discussion on the possibilities of protecting Czech and European critical infrastructure, which should resonate between political and administrative actors.
Following the long-term active activities of TPEB CR, the main goal of the project is to deepen the stimulation, coordination and involvement of the membership base and other entities in research and development projects, while emphasis is placed on connecting skills and needs infrastructure companies and government. The key motive is to increase the participation of Czech companies in project consortia seeking projects from the H2020 program, resp. Horizon Europe in a broadly defined area of critical infrastructure protection. This goal also includes the need for effective technological foresight, which is the basis for formulating innovation plans for which partnerships can be sought in other EU countries and an active effort to internationalize within European platforms that can speed up and simplify this process. Last but not least, the project also aims to represent Czech strategic interests in the context of norm-setting and EU policy-making through large international consortia.
