The EU-funded project COLLARIS2 is the successor to COLLARIS (COLLaborative network on unmanned AeRIal Systems) and focuses on the use of UAS (e.g., drones) in the field of civil protection and disaster management. Building upon the results of the COLLARIS Network, this project aims to continue, expand and further develop the already established international network of crisis management and civil protection practitioners, research institutions and public administration. The members of the network collect and transfer knowledge, exchange experiences, skills, good practices and information on operational procedures for the optimal use of drones in crisis management and rescue missions. 

To effectively promote the broader and more complex use of UAS, the project will

• facilitate sharing of lessons learnt from the adoption of innovative solutions and their absorption into operational practices
• support the development of skills, knowledge and competences among people implementing them
• deliver knowledge and recommendations supporting the development and implementation of systemic solutions which represent enablers for effective use of UAV/UAS, in particular related to air traffic management.

DCNA is involved in all work packages of the project and leads work package 3 ("Support for uptake of lessons learnt") and work package 7 ("Communication and dissemination"). In WP3, DCNA will conduct studies on the public perception of drones and their implications for civil protection, as well as on differences in UAS usage by professional and voluntary emergency services. In WP5, DCNA will create an e-learning module containing content developed within the project.

The project's outcomes include an open-access online course that introduces the use of UAS in emergency management, two virtual simulation training scenarios for incident commanders, and the curriculum for a course for Air Operations Coordinators. Furthermore, several trials are planned to demonstrate, experiment with, assess and validate different solutions and organisational arrangements for a variety of drone applications.

Other project partners:

• Centrum Badań Kosmicznych Polskiej Akademii Nauk, CBK PAN (coordinator)
• Kentro Meleton Asfaleias
• Entente pour la forêt Méditerranéenne
• University of Skovde
• Ministry of Interior - Cyprus
• Netherlands Institute of Public Safety (NIPV)
• University of Cyprus