From February 25-26, the main event of the Open Market Consultations (OMC) cycle within the European SHIELD PCP project took place in Paris. The Security Observatory, represented by President Sergiusz Parszowski, took an active part in it, once again proving how vital the dialogue between the technology market and the end-user is for our common security.
Why was this meeting so important?
Managing complex and dynamic crowd situations requires modern and innovative technologies that services often cannot find on the ready-made market. Building on the foundations developed in the previous SHIELD4CROWD project, the SHIELD PCP team has a clear goal: to bridge this technological gap. The Paris meeting was a key step on this path.
The event and a series of accompanying online webinars were attended by European technology providers, public buyers, members of the User Observatory Group, and the project consortium. It was an excellent space for knowledge exchange, during which:
- We verified current market analyses – contrasting our assumptions with the real capabilities of the technology industry.
- We gathered invaluable feedback from providers on the latest and emerging security technologies.
- We clarified the operational needs of the services and strengthened bilateral dialogue just before the planned tender.
In addition to the official market consultations, our team also participated in specialized training on public procurement strategy and internal sessions planning the next project steps.
Tailor-made innovations (PCP approach)
All these activities are possible thanks to the innovative Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) formula, financially supported by the European Union. This unique model creates conditions for developing solutions strictly tailored to the specific needs of emergency and law enforcement services, instead of forcing them to use ill-fitting, ready-made products.
As the Security Observatory, we fully promote this approach in Poland, believing that innovations require not only a vision but, above all, an appropriate cooperation model.
What’s next?
Currently, we are intensively working on analyzing the results gathered during the Paris consultations. We are committed to preparing perfectly for the tender announcement, which is planned for May this year.
We encourage you to follow our updates and to read the detailed materials and presentations from the event on the official project website: Open Market Consultations Main Event Overview
