The 1st Security Services Symposium, held on June 13, 2023, at the Victory Services Club in central London, provided a platform for practitioners, academics, and industry experts to address current and future security challenges. CENTRIC’s representative, Martin Snowden, QPM, shared insights on collaborative efforts to shape the future of security.

Organised by the Cranfield University and sponsored by UKRI, the symposium aimed to foster collaboration between UK security services, law enforcement agencies, and academia. By leveraging their expertise and resources, these diverse stakeholders worked together to tackle pressing security challenges.

Keynote speakers from the security sector explored the latest trends, technological advancements, and innovative approaches. Their expertise and experiences provided attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the security landscape.

The symposium highlighted the potential of academia to offer solutions to national security challenges. Universities showcased their research capabilities and academic rigour, emphasising the benefits of incorporating academic insights into real-world security operations.

Networking sessions allowed participants to connect, exchange ideas, and build relationships. These connections lay the foundation for future collaborations and joint endeavours beyond the symposium.

The symposium offered attendees a chance to contribute to solutions for security challenges. Engaging with leaders, experts, and academics provided invaluable insights and expanded professional networks. Collaboration and joint approaches were emphasised as crucial for ensuring the safety and security of communities.

The 1st Security Services Symposium was a pivotal event fostering collaboration to address security challenges. Attendees gained a comprehensive understanding of the evolving security landscape and potential solutions. Continued collaboration between security services, law enforcement agencies, and academia is essential to addressing emerging threats and creating a safer future for all.

On March 23^rd CENTRIC took part in the CERIS workshop on the use of Artificial Intelligence for Security Purposes. Hosted by the European Commission’s DG HOME in Brussels, this event brought together 90 members of the EU Security Community.

During the first panel, which addressed how to consider the needs of law enforcement in both daily practise and the proposed AI Act, Professor Saskia Bayerl, Head of Research at CENTRIC, discussed the relevance of AI Accountability for the security domain and solutions proposed by the AP4AI project.

At the end of the panel, Gregory Mounier, Head of Europol Innovation Lab, Professor Babak Akhgar OBE, Director of CENTRIC, and Professor Bayerl announced the release of the first version of the AP4AI accountability self-assessment tool. This tool allows organisations to review and assess AI accountability in their domain across the full AI lifecycle.

The launch of the tool received a lot of attention since it represents a substantial contribution from the EU’s internal security sector to the discussion over the AI Act.

Read more about AP4AI here.

CENTRIC attended the Home Office’s Security and Policing event at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre hosted by the Joint Security and Resilience Centre (JSaRC) from 14^th to 16^th March 2023.

During the event, the CENTRIC team (represented by Babak Akhgar, Saskia Bayerl, Helen Gibson,  and Andrea Redhead) presented CENTRIC’s current capabilities. Specifically, projects such as SCAAN, AP4AI, APPRAISE, 3PO and CENTRIC’s range of serious games were displayed.

The event saw the launch of the Civil Security Research Partnership (CSRP), a collaboration between CENTRIC, Innovate UK, and Innovate UK KTN. The goal of this partnership is to bring together the science, technology, and innovation (ST&I) with the civil security stakeholder community.

The Security & Policing 2023 is the Official UK Government Global Security Event, and it offers a world-class opportunity to meet and discuss the latest advances in delivering national security and resilience with leading UK suppliers, UK and overseas government officials, and senior decision makers across the law enforcement and security sectors.

This year’s event was a great chance to strengthen security ties around the world. It brought together over 30 UK government departments, agencies, and partners, as well as over 330 of the world’s best suppliers and service providers.

Security & Policing is a closed event to attendees at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre, continuing to host a secure and focused audience of Home Office approved visitors and exhibitors.

For further details on the Civil Security Research Partnership (CSRP), see here.

Professor Akhgar received the OBE, the second highest order of the British Empire award, in recognition of his services to security research.

A globally recognised leader in his field, Professor Akhgar’s pioneering research has made a considerable contribution to making the world a safer place through the development of innovative programmes to tackle organised crime, child sexual exploitation and terrorism.

Professor Akhgar is the director and founder of the Centre of Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence and Organised Crime Research (CENTRIC) at Sheffield Hallam University and has developed the Centre, bringing international renown and global influence.

Working with colleagues in CENTRIC, Professor Akhgar has brought together researchers, law enforcement agencies, policy makers and the public to bridge the gap between academic research and operational reality.

His commitment to security and tackling crime and cybercrime has helped CENTRIC forge hugely successful partnerships, including collaborations with Europol which have led to major advances in tackling cybercrime and cryptocurrency criminality and development of world first AI Accountability Framework for law enforcement agencies.

On Thursday 25th July, 2019 HRH Duke of Sussex visited Sheffield Hallam University to learn about the university’s commitment to applied research and addressing challenges in society.

The CENTRIC team were thrilled to be given the opportunity to meet the Duke and showcase our significant collaboration with UN Migration and the World Health Organisation on the SCAAN system. The team explained to the Duke how the system operates and gave a demonstration of how it would be used in the field.

SCAAN is a vital tool, currently being used in the field to help maintain staff security for both UN Migration and the World Health Organisation, if you would like to find out more watch this short film: SCAAN: Enhancing Staff Security