Fire Safety Mission for Europe: Modern Building Alliance joins forces with IAFSS

On 3 December, a workshop by the International Association of Fire Safety Science (IAFSS) was organised in Brussels, bringing together over 100 representatives of the fire safety community to discuss the importance of science in fire safety and to define a Fire Safety Mission for Europe. Our Executive Chair, Quentin de Hults, presented the views of the industry on the need for fire safety science together with pinfa. He stressed the importance of fire safety science for product development and innovation but also as a basis to inform policies and fire prevention measures. He also raised a number of technical and societal questions that should be answered with the help of fire safety science.

The event comes as a response to European Commission’s publication of its outline for “Horizon Europe”, the research & innovation programme which will follow Horizon 2020, with a proposed budget of around 100 billion € for 2021-2028. The original proposal makes no mention of fire safety.

The new proposed structure for Horizon Europe will build on thematic “pillars” (Health, Inclusive and Secure Society, Digital and Industry, Climate, Energy and Mobility and Food and Natural Resources) and horizontal “missions”. The definition of a “Fire Safety Mission” is particularly suitable for the inclusion of fire safety in Horizon Europe, as fire safety is truly horizontal in nature, cutting across a broad variety of potential themes.

IAFSS launched a position paper calling for action concerning fire research and engineering needs for the future, the IAFSS Agenda 2030 for a Fire Safe World. Using the IAFSS Agenda 2030 as a starting point for dialogue, the IAFSS and International Standardisation Organisation Technical Committee on Fire safety (ISO TC92) invited all fire safety stakeholders to a workshop to define a Fire Safety Mission for Europe. Stakeholders will help develop a research roadmap and potentially white papers, to facilitate the generation of directed funding towards fire safety science research to address emerging societal and environmental challenges.

Key takeaways from this productive workshop are:

  • the need to make fire science more proactive
  • the importance to strengthen collaboration between academics, fire fighters and industry
  • to work on fire safety awareness for professionals and citizens
  • to take a holistic view on fire safety, involving all disciplines and aspects
  • to consider the strong social aspect and be inclusive

Modern Building Alliance stands ready to contribute to these aspects and is proud to have supported this workshop.