Openness Actions

Scientific and technical coordinator: Zanasi & Partners - Italy

Founded in 2006, Zanasi Alessandro Srl ("Zanasi & Partners") is a research and advisory company, incorporated in Italy and active internationally. It serves its clients by focusing on economic analysis and policy definitions related to the application of technology to security and defence issues. Z&P has received funding from the European Commission for over 20 security and defence research projects.
As an advisory company, Z&P's clients include European Commission's DGs and international institutions (e.g. ESA, FRONTEX, ENISA, etc.), governmental agencies, and large private organisations (e.g. GEDI Gruppo Editoriale, Siemens AG, etc.).
Although listed in SOLOMON under the "Defence research organisations" category, Z&P has sold security services to Algeria and Saudia Arabia governments (although not supported by any "offset" or "G2G" agreement or any other governmental support).
Z&P's professionals took part in the Italian and EU efforts for rebuilding the Albanian National Police and for supporting the Kosovo government.

Expert System France - France

Founded in 1989, Expert System S.p.A. (ES) is an Italian small-medium data analytics and semantic intelligence company that has developed a proprietary state-of-the-art software technology that understands the meaning of written language. Expert System is headquartered in Modena, Italy and has offices in US, UK, France, Spain and Germany.
In 2015, ES acquired TEMIS SA and established ES France as the company's French branch. The expertise of ES includes also the management of most common standards for importing and mapping available customer ontologies in order to facilitate interoperability (transfer and normalization tasks).

Fondazione ICSA (Intelligence Culture And Strategic Analysis) (ICSA) - Italy

FONDAZIONE ICSA is a non-governmental body, a centre of analysis and of cultural processing that deals in innovative ways with security, defence and intelligence issues.
Its mission is to analyze the main aspects of national and foreign security issues, the evolution of military defence models with respect to external threats and the increasing criminal and illegal phenomena in Italy and abroad.
In this context, ICSA also analyzes the main scenarios regarding the technological evolution and all possible impacts that these developments might have on the defence industry, outlining possible critical issues in European weapon systems due to foreign dependencies for their components.
In addition, it observes the growing role of cyber and technological security of the State and its individual citizens.
The President of the Foundation is General Leonardo Tricarico, former Italian Air Force Chief of Staff.
The Scientific Committee is composed of academic and professional personalities with outstanding expertise in matters of defence, security and intelligence and constitutes an essential organ of the Foundation.

Hawk Associates Ltd - United Kingdom

Hawk is an open source intelligence and analyst firm offering strategic, operational and technical support to organisations within the Defence and Security sectors. The company is dedicated to providing on-going intelligence-led services including market analysis and forecasting, technology and risk intelligence and supply chain security and risk.
Using OSINT, domain expertise and a proven analytical capability, the company enables organisations to address their most critical challenges and gain the insight and capabilities they need to exploit information effectively and make better decisions.
Hawk has many years of experience providing supply chain mapping and supply chain risk assessments based on company, product, technology and material investigations and analysis Special focus is placed on improving intelligence tradecraft and developing methodologies for analytical and strategic foresight.
The company has worked with a multitude of Ministries of Defence as well as private sector clients. Hawk is a member of ADS in the UK and is ISO 9001:2008 registered for Information Management.

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik - German

The German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) is Germany's network for foreign policy. As an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit membership organization, think tank, and publisher, the DGAP has been promoting public debate on foreign policy in Germany for 60 years.

• to promote and contribute to foreign policy debate in Germany,
• to advise decision makers from politics, business, and civil society
• to inform the public on foreign policy issues.

To achieve this, the DGAP research institute conducts policy-oriented research at the interface of politics, business, science and media. More than 30 foreign policy experts work in ten research programs on the thematic priorities of the DGAP. These priorities are structured according to geographical criteria (regions, continents) as well as taking into account functional relationships (economy, safety). In addition, the discussion in the foreign policy community is organized and moderated in numerous expert conferences, discussion groups and study and project groups with the participation of high-ranking decision-makers from politics and business. Research and exchange then flow into numerous studies and analyses on current foreign policy issues and serve to develop concrete solutions. In this sense, the DGAP research institute sees itself as a modern think-tank, consultant and driving force for operational foreign policy.
The Security, Defence, Armaments Program at the DGAP advances the debate at European and international level through its many cooperation projects and relations with governmental, non-governmental, and international bodies. In 2017/2018, a particular research focus of the program is the analysis of armaments innovation, security and defence technological developments and the impact of Brexit on defence industry in Europe.

Bulgarian Defence Institute "Professor Tsvetan Lazarov" - Bulgaria

Bulgarian Defence Institute "Professor Tsvetan Lazarov" is the main scientific-research, testing-design and expert-technical structure in the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Bulgarian Defence Institutes' work is focused to:

• Scientific-research activities, scientific-practical activities, development and experimental design activities in the sphere of Armaments, C4I Systems, Military Techniques, Logistic Equipment and Materials
• Support to the Analysis of the situation of the Armaments, C4I Systems, and Military Techniques, Logistic Equipment and materials and working out of perspective prognoses on their development.
• Support to the Integrated Project Teams through taking part in the preparation, scientific monitoring and complete implementation of the defence programs and projects.
• Reproduction of scientific personnel through education in doctoral programs, their development and creation of scientific-technical for needs of the Defence System.
• Support and ensure of scientific-technical consultations by experts for the needs of the Armaments Council and the Defence Capabilities Council.
• Cooperation in the sphere of research works, development, testing and certification of the defence products in the frameworks of NATO, The European Union, as well as on bilateral basis and in national aspect.
• Working out technical specifications and expertise, programs and methods for testing, as well as standardization and other documents, related with the acquisition of defence products.
• Preparation and performance of laboratory, functional, acquisition, field and other testing of armaments, C4I systems, Military techniques, Logistic equipment and materials.
• Treasure, acquisition and development of the departmental standards.
• Certification of Quality Management Systems in accordance with NATO Standards, guaranteeing of the quality and assessment of the compliance during the acquisition of defence products.
• Ensuring of air safety and flying suitability of the military aerial vehicles, as well as of the aerial vehicles of the Ministry of the Interior.

Bulgarian Defence Institute "Professor Tsvetan Lazarov" - Bulgaria

Bulgarian Defence Institute "Professor Tsvetan Lazarov" is the main scientific-research, testing-design and expert-technical structure in the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Bulgarian Defence Institutes' work is focused to:

• Scientific-research activities, scientific-practical activities, development and experimental design activities in the sphere of Armaments, C4I Systems, Military Techniques, Logistic Equipment and Materials
• Support to the Analysis of the situation of the Armaments, C4I Systems, and Military Techniques, Logistic Equipment and materials and working out of perspective prognoses on their development.
• Support to the Integrated Project Teams through taking part in the preparation, scientific monitoring and complete implementation of the defence programs and projects.
• Reproduction of scientific personnel through education in doctoral programs, their development and creation of scientific-technical for needs of the Defence System.
• Support and ensure of scientific-technical consultations by experts for the needs of the Armaments Council and the Defence Capabilities Council.
• Cooperation in the sphere of research works, development, testing and certification of the defence products in the frameworks of NATO, The European Union, as well as on bilateral basis and in national aspect.
• Working out technical specifications and expertise, programs and methods for testing, as well as standardization and other documents, related with the acquisition of defence products.
• Preparation and performance of laboratory, functional, acquisition, field and other testing of armaments, C4I systems, Military techniques, Logistic equipment and materials.
• Treasure, acquisition and development of the departmental standards.
• Certification of Quality Management Systems in accordance with NATO Standards, guaranteeing of the quality and assessment of the compliance during the acquisition of defence products.
• Ensuring of air safety and flying suitability of the military aerial vehicles, as well as of the aerial vehicles of the Ministry of the Interior.

National Defense University "Carol I" - Romania

National Defense University „Carol I" (NDU) is the highest military education institution within the Romanian Ministry of Defense, with a major role in the transformation processes of the national defense forces, in accordance with the new global security environment challenges and Romania's NATO and EU membership status. NDU is actively involved in national and international projects, providing its scientific expertise, operational knowledge and academic infrastructure in areas such as: defense, security, strategy, intelligence analysis, crisis management, conflict prevention, multinational and joint operations, counter terrorism, defense resource management, modeling and simulation, leadership, joint professional military education and training.

Military University of Technology - Poland

Military University of Technology is a public technical university under Ministry of Science and Higher Education as well as Ministry of Defence. The entire university is divided into seven technical faculties. Institute of Optoelectronics (IOE) is the research institute with faculty status within the Military University of Technology. IOE activities are mainly focused on basic and applied research in the fields of optoelectronics and photonic technologies. The principal mission of the IOE is research and development related to defence and security needs defined by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). IOE activities include a wide range of undertakings, ranging from basic scientific investigations, development of laboratory models and technology demonstrators, to testing prototypes. The remarkable professional competence and experience of the staff at the IOE enables an interdisciplinary approach towards research tasks and development projects. The IOE conducts scientific research in the field of laser physics, photonics, optics, optoelectronics, security systems, spectroscopy, thermo-vision, biometrics, signal detection and the interaction of laser radiation with matter.
IOE has participated in numerous scientific collaboration programs managed by the EU, EDA, and NATO. For many years, we have had close relations with several scientific groups worldwide, in the framework of bilateral collaboration agreements. IOE is focused on permanent cooperation with industry and corresponding research institutions in EU and worldwide.
The research work of the IOE has been always accompanied by the activities in the field of education. Over recent years, the laboratory infrastructure of the IOE has seen considerable development as a result of successive investments and realizations of several projects and programs.

Royal Military Academy - Belgium

The Royal Military Academy is a military institution of university education responsible for the academic, military and physical training of future officers, and for the continuing advanced training of officers during their active career in the Defence department. Within RMA, the Unmanned Vehicle Centre is participating to the SOLOMON proposal.
The Unmanned Vehicle Centre of the Department of Mechanics of the Belgian Royal Military Academy is a research laboratory specialized in unmanned systems, both unmanned ground vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles. The lab conducts research in varied domains, ranging from very fundamental aspects to the development of prototype products and to strategic market research.
RMA not only acts as a pure research institute, but is closely committed to the end users and has a proven track record of operating in the field with the end-users. As a military institute, RMA has access to an international network of relevant end-users (crisis management agencies, procurement agencies).

Hellenic Ministry of National Defence - Greece

The Ministry of National Defence (HMOD) is the cabinet responsible for for implementing the defence policy set by the Administration and is the headquarters of Hellenic Armed Forces. The MOD states that its principal objectives are to defend the air, land and maritime teritory and the National interests and to strengthen international peace and stability.
For the successful completion of the mission, HMOD trains and equips the armed forces through the military departments. All the nessecary procurements are planned and controlled through the HMOD and the Hellenic National Defence General Staff.
The three Military Academies Army, Naval and Air Force, the cradle of leadership, educate, train and inspire cadets so that each graduate to become officers of competence prepared to serve the country with honor and professionalism.
The Department for the Management of European & Development Projects (http://www.dideap.mil.gr/) is responsible for the coordination of actions pertaining to the formation and submission of proposals for the monitoring, control and the general management of the sum of projects carried out by the HMOD with external funding. In particular, it plans, proposes, coordinates and monitors projects and provisions that fall within the framework of Public - Private Partnerships or Operational Programs like Environment and Sustainable Development, Digital Convergence, Education and Lifelong Learning, Land Air and Maritime Surveillance Enhancement and Interdiction.

MBDA - France

MBDA is the first fully integrated pan-European Company with a single integrated management and operating structure to manage national customer interfaces and maintain strong national footprints in France, UK, Germany, Italy and Spain.
It is a leading global player in its field, capable of delivering the best and most advanced solutions to its customers, developing large joint European programs, offering its customers an unequalled range of products and services and uniting Europe's major collaborative programs. MBDA has over 70 customers in the world with an annual turnover of 3.5 billion Euros. MBDA is shared by principal EU shareholders: BAE-Systems, Airbus Group and Leonardo.
MBDA is a prime contractor for: Missile-based weapon systems, including their integration onto airborne, naval and land platforms; Airborne and land Countermeasures systems; Directed Energy weapons; Complex simulations and training systems; RF seekers and sensors; C2 solutions; Through life capability solutions.
 

MBDA is a prime contractor for: Missile-based weapon systems, including their integration onto airborne, naval and land platforms; Airborne and land Countermeasures systems; Directed Energy weapons; Complex simulations and training systems; RF seekers and sensors; C2 solutions; Through life capability solutions.
MBDA has demonstrated its ability to bring together the best skills across the whole of Europe, and has succeeded in becoming the prime contractor for a series of strategic multi-national programmes. For all these multinational programs, MBDA's unique structure has allowed it to:

• Help customers reaching a common requirement
• Help pooling national budgets into a unified approach, for a common objective
• Help designing one single system addressing all the Nations' needs
• Help enhancing interoperability though common customer support, common training solutions, and users clubs to gather lessons learned

Indra Sistemas SA - Spain

Indra is one of the main global consulting and technology companies and the technological partner for the key operations of its clients' businesses throughout the world. It offers a comprehensive range of proprietary solutions and cutting-edge services with optimal technological capabilities, supported by a corporate culture of reliability, flexibility and adapting to client requirements. Indra is a world leader in the development of comprehensive technological solutions in fields such as Defence & Security, Transport & Traffic, Energy and Industry, Telecommunications & Media, Financial Services and Public Administrations & Healthcare. Through its Minsait unit it addresses the challenges posed by digital transformation. In 2017 it posted revenues above 3 billion euros and had 40,000 employees, a local presence in 46 countries and projects in more than 140 countries.
Indra has a strong commitment to innovation, as shows every year's investment in innovation (between 5%-8% of revenue per year, almost €1000m in the last five years) and the high number of R&D initiatives and projects in which the company is involved. Indra has a long history of collaboration and forging alliances with technology leaders and knowledge institutions such as Universities, Research Centres and Support Agencies, and participates in relevant large scale research and innovation programmes like Joint Technology Initiatives Advisory Groups, Associations and Technology Platforms (ARTEMIS, ECSEL, SESAR, SHIFT2RAIL, Cybersecurity cPPP; SPARC cPPP, BDV cPPP, ACARE, EOS, UNIFE, PTC-Spanish Road Platform, etc…)

• Activities in Defence since 1921. With own technology developed along several decades.
• More than 3,000 engineers
• Compliance with more stringent Military Standards.
• Extensive use of company IT background.

Indra supplies systems to the Defence and Interior Ministries of different countries across all five continents and participates in key multinational consortia and programs in the sector.

• Radar systems and command and control systems for land, air and amphibious operations
• Electronic intelligence
• IT (for defence applications)
• Unmanned vehicles (UAV, UVS)
• CBRNe systems ((Nuclear, radiological, biological, chemical)
• Countermeasure systems for aircraft (DIRCM)
• Electro-optical systems
• System maintenance and logistical support
• Simulation and automatic maintenance
• Services and solutions for the space sector
• Cyber defence

Thales SA - France

Thales is a world leader for mission critical information systems, with activities in five core businesses: Aeronautics, Space, Ground Transportation, Defence and Security. Thales employs 65000 people worldwide (56 countries). Thales sales was 15.6 bn€ in 2017.
In Defence, Thales is trusted at the highest levels to help armed forces prepare for, achieve and maintain tactical superiority and strategic independence over any form of threat.
From designing smart sensors and advanced defence systems, to developing collaborative combat, and connecting and equipping soldiers on the digital battlefield, Thales systems deliver information superiority and give joint forces mastery of action whenever they face their decisive moments.
Some 25,000 Thales employees, over 70% of them engineers, are involved in the Group's technical operations, ranging from research to engineering. In 2017, Thales spent €797 million (5% of sales) purely on self- funded R&D, an essential lever to remain competitive.
Governance of research and development for key technologies is split into four domains hardware technologies, software technologies, information and cognitive sciences and systems.

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG - Germany

KMW is the producer of all types of military Land Systems (e.g. MBT, AFV, Artillery Systems …)

Romanian Space Agency - Romania

Romanian Space Agency (ROSA) Independent public institution legal person fully self-financed, organized by the Government Decision no.923/1995 and defined by Law no.500/2002, in the system of the Ministry of Education and Research. Themain mission of ROSA is to promote, coordinate and develop space research and applications programs/projects in Romania and to represent the Government in relevant international cooperation agreements. ROSA established cooperation agreements with international organizations such as EuropeanSpace Agency (ESA) or the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), as well as bilateral cooperation agreements at governmental level. Together with the Ministry of External Affairs, ROSA represents Romania at the sessions of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space — COPUOUS and its subcommittees. ROSA is the coordinator organization of the Research, Development and Innovation STAR Programme - Space Technology and Advanced Research for the period 2012-2019, approved by Law no. 262/2011 - the tool which provides national support for implementing the Agreement between Romania and the European Space Agency (ESA) on Romania's accession to the ESA Convention. ROSA develops its own research and development projects and centers. The ROSA Research Centre has been established in 1998 and is developing since 2000 as a centre of excellence. It's acting as project integrator and developer in the main areas of space research and technology: space science, Earth observation, global navigation satellite systems, space dynamics, space applications for agriculture, disaster management, space information systems, space infrastructure development. The research in ROSA is project-oriented.
The overall objectives are to produce science and technology, to transfer the results to the users and to generate physical and human infrastructure – capacity building.

Lt.Gen. Leonardo LESO - Italy

Curriculum vitae
Lt.Gen. (res.) Leonardo LESO is President of the private security company SKP Consulting. His job is to study and prepare military security operational plans and training programmes thanks to his great experience and high professional skills.
Studies
Lt.Gen. LESO completed his pre-university schooling at the "F. Morosini" Naval Military School in Venice, and later attended the Military Academy in Modena and Carabinieri Officers School in Rome. A law and security graduate by the Naples and Rome universities, he also attended various specialized military courses in Italy and abroad (ranger, antiterrorism, urban close combat and negotiation/mediation and NATO Defence College for flag officers). He is a special force master parachutist and earned para wings from the United States and other NATO armies.
Decorations Lt.Gen. LESO received many Italian and foreign decorations, among these: the U.S.A. Legion of Merit, the Silver Medal of Merit of the Slovenian Armed Forces, the Gold Cross of Merit and the Bronze Medal of Value of the Italian Army and the highest Knight's Cross of the Italian Military Order.

National Institute For Aerospace Research "Elie Carafoli" - Romania

The National Institute for Aerospace Research "Elie Carafoli" is the leading research establishment in aerospace sciences in Romania, with more than 60 years tradition in aerospace engineering, flow physics and applied aerodynamics, using state-of-the-art technologies and unique infrastructure of national strategic importance. INCAS has been involved in all major national aeronautical projects for civil and military areas, and currently is acting as a major player in EU policy for R&D development under Flightpath 2050 vision and future Horizon 2020 program. INCAS is one of the contributors to the Flightpath 2050, an active participant to the new ACARE - Advisory Council for Aeronautical Research, has jointly developed the EREA - European Research Establishment in Aeronautics programmatic "Vision for the Future - Towards the Future Generation of Air Transport System", has initiated and signed as an institutional member the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers" and is one of the founder members of the IFAR - International Forum for Aviation Research. This is a solid basis for the foundation and implementation of the proposed Strategy and Development Plan for INCAS in the next decade. INCAS is acting in an integrated environment with industrial partners, involved in many aircraft projects at national and international level. All Romanian projects in aeronautics were developed in INCAS (e.g. IAR-93, IAR-99, IAR-705), and also international developments (e.g. BAC 1-11/ROMBAC). Starting 2007 INCAS has initiated a solid long-term strategy towards recognition of the status and capabilities of Romania in aerospace sciences, making usage of the unique research infrastructure (including wind tunnels with state-of-the-art technology) and outstanding competencies in major and niche areas for development at international scale. At the same time, INCAS has been recognized as a policy maker in Europe and at international level, playing a major role in all programmatic documents and visions developed in the last 5 years in aeronautics.