The term ‘security research’ refers to research in the fields of civil protection and disaster relief. The statutory basis for this is Section 1b of the THW Act, which expressly allows participation in research projects.
The THW aims to help shape relevant research activities in national, European, international and bilateral contexts. For this reason, it is currently involved as a project coordinator or partner in more than 20 national and international research projects.

Their focus is on a range of issues related to civil protection and disaster relief, as well as the emergency services. These span from networking to social science and technical projects. The research work includes preparation, implementation and follow-up.

Some aspects of THW security research are intended to directly enhance its operational readiness and capacity. Furthermore, the THW also benefits from the research results as a user of the newly developed techniques and technological products.

The goals of THW research are:

• Identifying capacity gaps from the user’s perspective
• Ensuring practical relevance from the user’s perspective
• Identifying challenges needing solutions, and testing solutions
• Incorporating new potential
• Assimilating technological progress
• Sharing and networking with users and partners from the research and technology sectors

The projects are typically funded by the European Union and/or the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

THW Research also has its own website where you can find further information, including project descriptions, third-party funding, grants, events, partners and contacts.