DEPARTAMENT D'INTERIOR I SEGURETAT PUBLICA - GENERALITAT DE CATALUNYA

Their core work

The Department of Interior and Public Security of the Catalan Government (Generalitat de Catalunya) is the regional authority responsible for civil protection, fire and rescue services, police, and emergency management across Catalonia, Spain. In H2020 projects, they contribute as an end-user and operational authority, providing real-world emergency scenarios, testing grounds for disaster response technologies, and practitioner expertise in wildfire management, multi-hazard coordination, and public transport security. Their participation bridges the gap between research outputs and frontline deployment by validating tools and procedures in actual operational environments.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), the department focused broadly on weather-induced hazards, early warning systems, urban crime, and counter-terrorism — reflecting a wide civil security mandate. From 2019 onward, their focus sharpened toward wildfire resilience (landscape design, post-fire restoration, proactive governance) and public transport security (threat detection, perpetrator tracking via pre-commercial procurement). This shift suggests a move from general emergency preparedness toward specialized operational domains where Catalonia faces acute, recurring challenges — particularly wildfires and urban transit threats.

Moving toward operational deployment of tested solutions — the PREVENT PCP pre-commercial procurement signals readiness to buy and implement innovations, not just test them.

How they like to work

ISP participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator, which is typical for a government end-user authority that brings operational environments and practitioner feedback rather than research leadership. With 151 unique partners across 23 countries, they are well-networked across European security and civil protection communities. Their consistent participation across multiple years and project types (RIA, IA, CSA, PCP) shows they are a reliable, experienced consortium member who understands the full EU project lifecycle.

Extensive European network spanning 151 partners in 23 countries, built through 9 projects in security and civil protection. Their connections likely include major European emergency services, fire research centres, and security technology providers.

What sets them apart

As a regional government authority with direct operational control over fire services, police, and civil protection in Catalonia, ISP offers something most research partners cannot: real operational deployment environments in a Mediterranean region highly exposed to wildfires and urban security challenges. Their progression from PREVENT (CSA) to PREVENT PCP demonstrates they don't just validate research — they actively procure and implement the results, making them an ideal end-user partner for consortia that need credible paths to market adoption.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HEIMDALL
  Largest single project budget (EUR 832K) — a multi-hazard cooperative management tool for data exchange and response planning, reflecting ISP's core civil protection mission.
• FIRE-RES
  Second largest budget (EUR 739K) and their most recent major project, focused on socio-ecological solutions for fire-resilient territories — signals their current strategic priority.
• PREVENT PCP
  A pre-commercial procurement project — rare in H2020 — showing ISP's willingness to move from research validation to actual purchase of innovative security solutions for public transport.