Irregular and unaccountable transactions, cyber threats, non-user-friendly inefficient or impractical banking processes, complex contracting procedures and cumbersome financial market and insurance infrastructures constitute obstacles to European open market development. CRITICAL-CHAINS delivers a novel triangular accountability model and integrated framework supporting accountable, effective, accessible, fast, secure and privacy-preserving financial contracts and transactions to protect against illicit tranasctions, illegal money trafficking and fraud on FinTech e-operations. This is an innovative cloud-based “X-as-a Service” solution stack including several layers: 1) Data integrity checking by involving financial institutions in the distributed Blockchain network; 2) Transaction and financial data flows analytrics, modelling and mining; 3) Threat Intelligence & Predictive Modelling for Inter-Banks and Internet Banking, insurnace and financial market infrastructures; 4) Multilateral Biometric-based and Role-based Authorisation & Authentication; 5) Hardware Security Module (HSM) enabled Cyber-Physical Security, embedded systems & IoT security for secure access using Security-Privacy-Contexts Semantic Modelling; 6) Secure and smart use of Blockchain based on keyless signature infrastructure and hybrid (a)symmetric cryptography utilising truly random key generation. CRITICAL-CHAINS is to be validated within 4 case studies aligned with 3 critical sectors: banking, financial market infrastructures and the insurance sector. This will evaluate system reliability, usability, user-acceptance, social, privacy, ethical, environmental and legal compliance by scrutiny of the geo-political and legal framework bridging the European economy with the rest of the world. The Consortium respresents a strong chemistry of relevant expertise and an inclusive set of stakeholders comprising end-users (customers), CERTS, the financial sector (Banks & CCPs) and the Insurance sector

"The European ""Innov'Age"" project is the result of a strategic partnership for training in diversity, age management and innovation, applied to the European postal sector. The project addresses the issue of Europe's ageing population and the need to attract new skills/talents among younger generations. In fact, management of intergenerational teams is becoming a criterion of competitiveness for European postal operators. The objective of the project is to improve age management in the postal sector by creating an innovative training prototype to enhance intergenerational teams. The issues related to this objective are: increase the employability of both seniors and younger people; enhance and make more efficient intergenerational teams to promote business innovation; facilitate and stimulate innovation in the postal sector.The project consortium brought together six European postal operators (France, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Greece, Cyprus), the PostEurop postal association (52 postal operators), the University of Bordeaux, the Greek Post Vocational Training Centre and InoSalus, a Portuguese SME specialising in innovative training. Project Structure: The project was divided into three main Intellectual Outputs (IO): IO1: Research, identification and mapping of training needs in the postal sector related to age management; IO2: Co-creation and development of an innovative training toolkit for age management in order to develop a dynamic approach focusing on cooperation between generations, the motivation and involvement of professional teams including young and old people, the valorisation and transmission of experience - which will be done first and foremost in the partner companies of the project; IO3: Design and test a prototype of training in some intergenerational teams. This allows managers to discover a new management an approach to diversity, taking into account the specific needs and expectations of new entrants and seniors, acquire and appropriate methods and tools for the cohesion, motivation and performance of an intergenerational team.All the results were shared during the monthly conference calls, the transnational meetings and the dissemination events. Activities implemented: Scientific study on the following variables: diversity practices by age, climate in work organisation, learning climate, acceptable distance (depending on corporate culture) between employees and management, strengthening leadership, innovative team behaviours and related performance;Analysis of training needs and psychosocial aspects to develop the sectoral training needs matrix (questionnaire, study, research) and mapping of the current situation in postal organizations;Development of a roadmap for the volunteer team to help co-build training programs and identify case studies;Selection and development of case studies and production of a pedagogical movie; Development of the training programme based on the macro-competences identified to be developed through this prototype;Development of a test prototype and design of the toolbox;Assessment of the impact of the training prototype on the teams;Communication and dissemination of project results via partner communication media;Dissemination meetings coordinated by a communication committee.Results: The Training Program was formalized as a prototype. A part of the prototype (test modules) was implemented by the six postal partners, adapted to the reality of each operator and tested by the volunteer teams. The evaluation of these tests has improved the training programme by identifying areas for improvement or consolidation. The evaluation confirmed the importance of this training to help managers improve the management of multi-generational teams and foster inclusion and innovation. Project Outreach: Partnership with OSHA and its “Healthy Workplaces for All Ages” campaign, EYDAP SA, Athens Water Company, “Intergenerational HR Club”, and the University of Aix-Marseille has also shown its interest.Visibility of results: Meetings with external stakeholders: kick-off, closing conference, Multiplier events in Athens, Rome and Strasbourg; Use of websites, social networks...Two initiatives, one national pilot implementation initiative in Greece and the final multiplier event of the project, put in place in the framework of the Innov’Age project have been approved and registered successfully as events of the European Vocational skills week organized by DG Employment on 14-18 October 2019. The approval of both submitted events confirms their relevance in terms of training and innovation. Registering to this European-wide initiate coordinated by DG Employment is a further way to raise awareness about our work in the field of vocational education especially towards other sectors and stakeholders. The next step of Innov’Age 1 would be the certification of this training. (Innov’Age 2 – awaiting for funding)."

Results from a simulation experiment with top retailers Carrefour and Casino in France and their 100 top suppliers moving from actual practice to a “Physical Internet Model” showed a potential economic benefit of 32%, a 60% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and a potential of 50% of volume shifted from road to rail. Accelerating the Path Towards Physical Internet -SENSE- project strategic objective is to accelerate the path towards the Physical Internet (PI), so advanced pilot implementations of the PI concept are well functioning and extended in industry practice by 2030, and hence contributing to at least 30 % reduction in congestion, emissions and energy consumption. To that end, SENSE aims to increase the level of understanding of PI concept and the opportunities that brings to transport and logistics. By building stronger and wider support of industry, public bodies and research worlds towards the PI we may reach consensus and enable coordinated strategic public and private investments in research and innovation embracing Physical Internet that could lead us to a new much more efficient and sustainable paradigm. SENSE will: 1) enhance, and stabilize a solid framework for industry, research and public bodies to share advances, barriers, opportunities and best practices regarding Physical Internet implementation, 2) build awareness and raise wide consensus on the Detailed Roadmap towards the Physical Internet developed in the frame of the project, 3) Create The Reference Knowledge Platform so the Physical Internet Community has access to recent developments including: PI implementation cases assessment, industry programs and activities, related start-ups, research and innovation projects, public initiatives and programs and last, but not least, 4) assist and support Industry, European Commission, Member States and Regional Governments in the process of defining high impact research policies to fast track to Physical Internet.

PARSEC is a project about parcel and letter security in the context of postal and express courier services. The project delivers an ambitious set of solutions by developing, configuring, customising, and piloting innovative tools, services and security management views to fight the abuse of postal and express courier flows for criminal and terrorist purposes. The four PARSEC innovation areas and three use cases strengthen risk analysis and redefine threat detection and resilience capabilities of parcel service providers, customs authorities, police agencies, and other relevant stakeholders. PARSEC develops and tests three next-generation non-intrusive detection technologies (multi-energy photon counting detector, neutron-induced gamma-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction) and combine them into a detection architecture (= system-of-system) for optimal detection accuracy, speed and reliability. With PARSEC solutions postal and express operators, customs, and police authorities will be more capable to fight crime and terrorism, put in place a stronger deterrent, and to ensure safe and undisrupted postal and express services.