Common use of TECHNOLOGY SURVEY Clause in Contracts

TECHNOLOGY SURVEY. Considering that the market for humanitarian demining equipment is very limited and after identifying a lack of interest from large companies in making the considerable investments for developing and productionising the results of R&D, an action is required for identifying transferable technologies from other application domains towards humanitarian demining. Analysis of the various ongoing initiatives aiming at increasing the overall efficiency of humanitarian demining, reveals that none of them include a co- ordinated and continuous effort to address this issue. The variety of tasks required in Mine Clearance Operations, and the structuring of their goals as expressed in the UN international Standards for Humanitarian Mine Clearance Operations (Level 1 Surveys, Level 2 Surveys including area reduction, mine clearance, Level 3 surveys including quality control) opens perspectives for brand new technology approaches. The existence of this potential has been widely acknowledged by the R&D community on humanitarian demining. Workshops are being organised to bring actors of diverse domains together, but their results stay superficial due to lack of continued effort and co-ordination. Rarely the identified technologies, are analysed in sufficient depth, up to a point where a realistic project plan can be made for the transfer of know how and for the study of the adaptations needed to meet the requirements of humanitarian demining. No analysis is made on the actual amount of effort required, no solid work plans are prepared, no physical feasibility tests are organised, no systematic analysis of the possible operational procedures is made, etc. Current practises, such as the use of dogs, mechanical demining have never been researched thoroughly. To our knowledge some interesting initiatives have been undertaken by e.g. the German Federal Foreign Office, Handicap International and the Geneva Centre for producing reports on demining tool boxes, demining material and its usage. A more in depth study in close collaboration with the above mentioned organisations will be a task for the EUDEM2-team. The technology survey activity will be carried out worldwide, through literature analysis, direct contacts and participation to international conferences. WP400 Technology Survey should help bridging the gap between identified potential and feasibility tests as well as RTD projects.

TECHNOLOGY SURVEY. Considering that In addition to the market goals of the IST-2000-I.4.2: "develop new and enhanced existing IST solutions using data fusion and smart sensor technologies for humanitarian demining equipment is very limited demining", EUDEM2 will conduct a broad scope survey. The EUDEM2-team will try to understand the physical principles behind the researched technologies in depth in order to see the transferability to the HD domain. Doing so should enable us to identify and after identifying a lack analyse mature technologies that are related or not yet directly related to landmine detection and address currently other markets. This will lead to innovation, novel products and techniques. It should also enable integration of interest from large companies state-of-the-art technology into systems that are currently tested or used in making the considerable investments for developing and productionising the results of R&D, an action is required for identifying transferable technologies from other application domains towards humanitarian demining. Analysis Another central ingredient will be to look closely into techniques that do not involve direct human contact (as does humanitarian de-mining today). Doing this could free deminers from the existing traditional spatial constraints and enhance their safety. We feel that the EUDEM2 proposal has the following merits with respect to the objectives of the various programme: ❑ Emphasis on the support of ongoing initiatives aiming at increasing EC-IST efforts. In the overall European Policy Objectives the need to investigate technological developments, policy and research and confront them with each other, is stressed. ❑ Clustering of the previous results and ongoing work in order to reinforce and harmonise complementary projects without exclusion of new players from industry and academia. ❑ Independence from industrial and/or political pressure groups and good working relations with many players of the present humanitarian-demining scene. ❑ Emphasis on the reusability of information, as well as data collection, analysis and dissemination; to aid affordable improvements of speed, safety and efficiency of humanitarian demining. Information exchange already takes place in an active and fluent way. ❑ Emphasis on openness and free information dissemination, reveals that none also at international level is a must for solving the global mine problem. ❑ Contributing to an increased economical viability of them include a co- ordinated (1) productionisation of technology for humanitarian demining and continuous effort to address this issue. The variety of tasks required in Mine Clearance Operations, and the structuring of their goals as expressed in the UN international Standards for Humanitarian Mine Clearance Operations (Level 1 Surveys, Level 2 Surveys including area reduction, mine clearance, Level 3 surveys including quality control2) opens perspectives for brand new technology approaches. The existence field exploitation of this potential has been widely acknowledged by the R&D community on humanitarian demining. Workshops are being organised to bring actors of diverse domains together, but their results stay superficial due to lack of continued effort and co-ordination. Rarely the identified technologies, are analysed in sufficient depth, up to a point where a realistic project plan can be made for the transfer of know how and for the study of the adaptations needed to meet the requirements of humanitarian demining. No analysis is made on the actual amount of effort required, no solid work plans are prepared, no physical feasibility tests are organised, no systematic analysis of the possible operational procedures is made, etc. Current practises, such as the use of dogs, mechanical demining have never been researched thoroughly. To our knowledge some interesting initiatives have been undertaken by e.g. the German Federal Foreign Office, Handicap International and the Geneva Centre for producing reports on demining tool boxes, demining material and its usage. A more in depth study in close collaboration with the above mentioned organisations will be a task for the EUDEM2-team. The technology survey activity will be carried out worldwide, through literature analysis, direct contacts and participation to international conferences. WP400 Technology Survey should help bridging the gap between identified potential and feasibility tests as well as RTD projectstechnology.