PRECEPT Consortium
Advanced Integrated Technology Solutions & Services Ltd (Aditess) is a scientific, consulting, and research SME established in 2011. ADITESS conducts theoretical and applied research and produces studies, at strategic and tactical level, on issues, mainly concerning Security policies, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Transportation security and Border management (monitoring and surveillance). Our staff composed of dedicated and experienced professionals with outstanding professional and academic experience who have been involved in numerous EU Research Programs as well as national and international projects for several years. ADITESS has long-standing history in proposal preparation, project management and R&D activities. Furthermore, a number of ADITESS researchers come with ex-military and ex- police forces background in IT Security, Electronic Warfare (EW) and Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) in large-scale National and International operations, over the last fifteen years. This field experience is enhanced by high academic knowledge especially in the area of security (IT, UAV systems, Electrooptics, Communications, etc.). For the needs of the project our in-house content management system will be used for data management and the implementation of data retention and access policies. Additionally, our previous experience in the development of end user interfaces (both web and mobile) will also be utilized. Finally, we will bring our multi-year expertise in UAV platforms and know-how for the effective communication and deployment of onboard sensors.
The Cyprus Institute (CyI) is a private non-profit research and educational institution with scientific and technological focus. It consists of 3 research Centers that address challenging problems both at the regional and international levels. The novelty of the Institute derives from its structure that consists of issue-oriented, rather than discipline oriented research centres, in an interdisciplinary environment. The Government of Cyprus (financially) supports The Cyprus Institute, viewing its establishment as important to its overall policy of transforming Cyprus into a regional centre for research and education. The Energy, Environment and Water Research Centre (EEWRC) was launched in December 2007 as the first research centre of The Cyprus Institute. It is currently the biggest research centre with about half of the total CyI research staff (70 staff) and led by Prof. Jean SCIARE (PI of the AQ-SERVE project). EEWRC is intended as an important research resource for Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa, and as a gateway between the European Union and the EMME region. Research at EEWRC addresses issues of regional interest but of global importance, including an assessment of climate change impacts, development and articulation of adequate mitigation and adaptation strategies, formulation of strategies towards a carbon-free energy economy for Cyprus and the region, and the sustainable use of water and renewable and non-renewable natural resources. Over the past few years, EEWRC has proven to be a leader in the area of Environmental and Climate research. The Atmospheric and Climate Research division of EEWRC in particular, in close co-operation with the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC) in Mainz, Germany, has established CyI as a key player of Climate Research in the region and beyond. EEWRC has been instrumental in providing evidence that the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region (EMME) is a climate change “hotspot” and relating this to public health, ecosystem development, and water scarcity. These studies have attained international recognition, notably for their emphasis on the EMME.
The Atmospheric & Climate division at EEWRC: Anthropogenic changes of trace gases and aerosol particles in the atmosphere affect clouds, climate, human health, ecosystems and agriculture. The Atmosphere & Climate Division (ACD) has addressed these issues since its establishment in 2008, placing a geographic emphasis on the EMME region, with more than 100 publications in per-review journals over the past 3 years (Publication list of the Atmosphere & Climate division accessible at: http://www.cyi.ac.cy/index.php/atmosphere-and-climate-division-publications). The division is currently divided into two complementary research groups (Experimental Group & Modelling Group) that together provide a comprehensive characterization of the atmosphere and climate in the EMME region. Experimental atmospheric sciences performed at CyI are very recent (established since 2014). They encompass basic and applied research relevant for air quality, public health, and climate. The Experimental group has been considerably strengthened in recent years with the recruitment of high calibre international senior scientists and experts with technical skills in a broad range of complementary fields (physics, chemistry, electronics, and ICT) to develop/operate sophisticated instrumentation and to characterize the composition of trace elements in the atmosphere. Upon the achievement of this major milestone, efforts have then concentrated on expanding the capacities by 1) the establishment of a network of strategic national partners from the public and academic sectors and 2) the coordination of cutting-edge research activities on air pollution and atmospheric observations in Cyprus. Based on a development strategy that focusses on research and innovation, CyI was among the first research institutes in the EU to initiate an ambitious program focusing on the development and operation of a fleet of UAVs in the framework of the APAESO (RPF) project. Based on the vision to establish for the first time a long-term continuous record of the atmospheric composition of the EMME, the division has devoted considerable effort and resources to the creation of the Cyprus Atmospheric Observatory (CAO, see description below), which illustrates the motivation and the capacity of CyI to coordinate national research activities in atmospheric sciences and integrate them into wider (EU) scientific networks. To support the development of this flagship research infrastructure (USRL and CAO), the division developed two additional facilities; the Instrumentation Laboratory for the development of smart miniaturized (UAV) atmospheric instrumentation and the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory for a comprehensive characterization of the natural/anthropogenic sources sampled over Cyprus within the national air quality network. This CyI research infrastructure has reached a high level of maturity and international visibility within only a few years and has demonstrated the capacity to provide highly competitive services, an important indication of the potential of the division to sustain its development by generating resources, also through competitive funding.
