The Cyprus Police and the KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence (CoE) at the University of Cyprus have embarked on a long-term collaboration, which is initiated under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two parties. The agreement has provided the framework for the technological and scientific collaboration in order to address specific research and technology challenges of modern day policing. This collaborative approach is also in line with EU innovation and regional development strategies. The aim is to encourage mutually beneficial relationships between universities, industry, and local/regional government for local knowledge creation and its translation into innovative products, as well as to improve public and private services.
As a result of the strong commitment for collaboration by both parties, the Cyprus Police and the KIOS CoE have been working on specific research initiatives which are being implemented through the KIOS Innovation Hub. This collaboration includes the development of smart technologies for research, pilot applications to support crime prevention, as well as preparedness, response management, and containment of emergency situations that jeopardize the security of the citizens.
One example of this collaboration is a project that was initiated between the KIOS CoE and the Emergency Response Unit of the Cyprus Police Force. The focus was on upgrading the mobile command station capacity of the Emergency Response Unit with decision support tools to facilitate and improve situational awareness and mission planning. This collaboration is taking place within the context of the EU’s Internal Security Fund, the instrument for financial support for police cooperation, preventing and combating crime, and crisis management.
It is foreseen that this will be the first of many collaborative projects that will enable the Cyprus Police to successfully complete increasingly complex and challenging operations and further assist the Force to perform key priorities and obligations of the Republic of Cyprus.
