On 24 and 25 June 2025, the UIC Security Department attended the Security Research Event (SRE), which took place in Warsaw, Poland. The event, organised by the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME), gathered the security research community for discussions, demonstrations, and networking, as well as an exhibition of over 50 EU-funded projects. Over 600 participants from across Europe and beyond representing academic institutions, end users, policymakers, and civil society, came together under the theme “Boosting security through EU-based innovation”.
Marie-Hélène Bonneau and Grigore Havârneanu, representing UIC, showcased the research outcomes of the Improving Railway Security through Awareness and Training (IMPRESS) project, which helps improve railway security against violent crime and terrorism through awareness and training. Visitors had the opportunity to discover the brand-new training and awareness materials and test the serious game developed during the project. The key results of IMPRESS are available here.
Furthermore, at the Unobtrusive Technologies for Secure and Seamless Border Crossing for Travel Facilitation (ODYSSEUS) project and SafeTravellers project booths, UIC represented the rail sector, emphasising its active commitment to secure and seamless cross-border rail travel. In both projects, the UIC Security team is leading the railway pilot projects which allow for the testing of innovative technologies in a cross-border railway environment.
The UIC team also directed visitors towards the booth where the BEHOLDER project made its first public appearance, explaining how UIC helps the railway sector prepare against low-probability high-impact events such as Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) threats.
The SRE 2025 demonstrated the European Commission’s ability to create a strong and dynamic security research community, covering thematic areas such as the fight against crime and terrorism, protection of public spaces, resilient critical infrastructure, and border management, all of which UIC plays an active part in.
Over the past 15 years, the UIC Security team has worked on over 20 EU-funded security research projects, coordinating six of them. With the implementation of each project, UIC has contributed to a more secure and resilient railway environment.
