On 12th June, PSCE welcomed Mario Drobics as new Chair of the Research Committee and PSCE Board Member. Mario is Head of Competence Unit for Cooperative Digital Technologies at the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), a long-term active member of PSCE. AIT has a wide experience in disaster management and other spheres of public safety and security such as cybersecurity and wireless communication.
Mario has PhD in Applied Mathematics and has more than 20 yeas of experiences in PSCE’s related activities such as Internet if Things security, data science, telemedicine. With his expertise and network, we are confident in the contribution that Mario will bring to the Research Committee and PSCE activities and we are looking forward to working more closely with him.
Mario explains his commitment and future contribution to the work of the Research Committee and the PSCE Board:
"With the increasing challenges posed by natural and man-made disasters, European collaboration and communication between public safety stakeholders, but also with citizens and externals parties, is becoming increasingly important. Technological advances, including future communication standards, new sensing capabilities, or artificial intelligence, will help address these challenges and expand the capabilities of public safety actors. In order to coordinate these efforts and align future developments with the needs of users, it is essential to bring together all relevant actors in the field, including first responders, policy makers, industry, and research. On the basis of this shared understanding, awareness of specific challenges can be raised. Finally, investments and research programs need to be aligned. In my role as Chair of the PSCE Research Committee and Member of the Board, I am looking forward to contributing to this mission and further increase the resilience of European society by bringing AIT’s and my professional expertise to the table."
Furthermore, Charlotte Roesener was officially nominated as the new PSCE President. Charlotte has a PhD and has graduated from Vienna University of Technology / Austria and Keio University / Japan in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 2007. Charlotte has a strong expertise in technology and AI and has years of professional experience in the field of public transport, communication for public safety, and more recently with a focus on broadband communication. Since 2013, she has been with Frequentis AG, where she has been driving critical communication applications in the public safety domain as product manager.
Charlotte has joined PSCE as a Board Member in 2021, recently covering the role of Vice President and Treasurer. Since starting her position in the Board, she has actively contributed to the activities of the organisation.
"It is a great honour and equally a pleasure to take on the presidency for the next months. Since its foundation in 2008, the Public Safety Communications Europe Forum (PSCE) has become a unique and independent forum in its own right: reconciling representatives of end-user-organisations, key members of the industry and top research institutes in Europe, we have become a powerful circle of excellence over the past years. In dire times when natural disasters due to climate change, three years of the COVID-19 pandemic and a war on European soil have brought new challenges for PPDRs in Europe and globally, the need for effective communication systems – especially for mission-critical communication – has become greater than ever. PSCE has been entrusted with organising and leading EU-funded flagship projects that enabled prototypes, pilots and trials where PPDR end users find new ways of communication together with research and industry experts. We can look back at exciting years where PSCE has become a voice that is heard and respected in Europe, and it is my duty and my ambition to continue and emphasise this during my presidency."
Composition of the PSCE Board for the period 2023-2024
- Charlotte Roesener (Frequentis AG): President
- Uwe Kippnich (Bavarian Red Cross): Past President
- David Lund (SafeNetics): Treasurer
- Mario Drobics (AIT): Relation and Communication Officer