Launched in May 2014, DRIVER (Driving Innovation in Crisis Management for European Resilience) is a project funded under the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission, whose main aim is to cope with current and future challenges due to increasingly severe consequences of natural disasters and terrorist threats, by the development and uptake of innovative solutions that are addressing the operational needs of practitioners dealing with Crisis Management. Having implemented necessary improvements and taking the needs of Crisis Management practitioners better into account, the project has returned in September 2017 with a facelift: new name, new leadership, new partners, new visual identity, and a project team more committed than ever to drive the next stage of innovation in Crisis Management for European Resilience. To inaugurate the start of this new phase of the project, which is relaunched as “DRIVER+”, all partners met in Rotterdam on 25-27 September for a fruitful Kick-off Meeting.

By April 2020, DRIVER+ is committed to deliver a pan-European Test-Bed enabling practitioners to create a space in which stakeholders can collaborate in testing and evaluating new solutions, together with a database-driven website documenting those solutions and giving them to any external organisations willing to share experience. Furthermore, the project targets a shared understanding in Crisis Management through enhancement of the cooperation framework, by building a Community of Practice closely aligned to other dedicated initiatives. All in all, the involvement of external stakeholders is increased. The project structure was simplified to link the objectives and the results of the project and to improve the path towards a successful implementation of the project plans.

Within DRIVER+ the Chair for Information Systems and Supply Chain Management still contributes as solution provider of design, planning and simulation tools for disaster relief supply logistics developed at the group in the past. In addition, the chair became member of the review board and contributes now also to the development, application and evaluation of the test-bed methodology. Last but not least, the chair facilitates the review process of the Solution Selection Group, where crisis management practitioners evaluate potential solutions in a double blind review process.

Full article here. Further questions? Contact: coordination@projectdriver.eu