You can reach the following security research projects at the University of Freiburg by contacting the institutes of the project management. Further important institutes of security research in Freiburg are the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI and the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law.

Smart Diver 4.0 – Underwater Emergency System Based On Vital Sign Data

Research into a small-scale acoustic underwater network for the communication of physiological, bio-mechanical, and navigation data between divers, while respecting humans and nature. From this concept stems a software platform, which continuously measures vital parameters and propagates this data responsibly while maintaining the persons' privacy, to enhance safety for both, amateur and professional diving.

Duration: 09/2018 - 08/2020
Project management: Prof. Dr. Leonhard Reindl
Support: KMU-Innovativ

The Heroic in 21st-Century British Television Series: Discourses and Aesthetic Strategies of a Popular Medium - Sub-project of SFB 948 Heroes – Heroizations – Heroisms. Transformations and Conjunctures from Antiquity to the Modern Day

Interpretations of the heroic are significantly influenced and negotiated by popular media. This British Studies project applies this thesis to an analysis of British television. The goal of this project is to better identify and define the heterogeneity found in the ways figurative and semantic characteristics of heroism are shaped in British society through television.

Duration: 07/2016 – 06/2020
Sub-project management: Dr. Nicole Falkenhayner, Prof. Dr. Barbara Korte
Support: DFG

EUN-NET – Understanding EU-UN Relations

The EUN-NET Network brings together established academics from different disciplines (law, economics, political science and international relations) that have a proven record of research and teaching excellence in the field of EU-UN relations. The rationale of this multidisciplinary partnership is to encourage exchange of academic best-practice and creating a thematic trans-national research group.

Duration: 12/2016 – 11/2019
Member of the Consortium: Prof. Dr. Diana Panke
Support: EU

FOUNT2 – Aerial localisation system for rescuing buried persons

Incidents in which people become trapped beneath debris mean a race against time for the emergency services. The partners on the FOUNT2 project are conducting research on a high-performance, unmanned aerial robot, which new camera system enables high-resolution, 3D maps of the debris to be produced from the air. There is also to be an integrated bio radar system for locating trapped persons and casualties.

Duration: 10/2016 - 10/2019
Project coordination: Prof. Dr. Leonhard Reindl
Support: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)

The Political Economy of Power-Sharing in Post-Conflict Situations

The research project focuses on the question, how power-sharing does affect resource allocation between elites and constituencies in post-conflict situations.

Duration: 2015 - 2019
Project management: Prof. Dr. Andreas Mehler, Dr. Martin Ottmann
Support: DFG (Research Grants)

Criminal Sanction and Recidivism

The aim of this empirical study is to analyze the criminal behavior of judicially convicted individuals. Reconviction by type of offense, sanction, and socio-demographic characteristics like age and gender will be researched.

Duration: 2007 - 2019
Project management: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans-Jörg Albrecht
Study carried out on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Justice

SHIVA: Secure hardware in information processing

The project aims to develop new methods for IKT-systems to ensure the following security features: A) The elimination of an intentional or unintentional manipulation of the system, B) the elimination of the monitoring of intern data, used methods and processes, C) the protection of intellectual property on the hardware.

Duration: 02/2016 - 02/2019
Project management: Prof. Dr. Bernd Becker
Support: BW Stiftung

Algebraic Fault Attacks

The protection against physical attacks plays a steadily growing, important role for the secure operation of mobile and embedded systems. The continued transition to cyberphysical systems increases the relevance of such attacks even further. The project investigates an essential class of physical attacks, namely fault-injection attacks, and the use of algebraic solving techniques as part of such attacks.

Duration: 01/2015 - 12/2018
Member of Project management: Prof. Dr. Bernd Becker, Prof. Dr. Ilia Polian
Support: DFG

ULTa – Underwater Localization of Divers

The research foci of the ULTa project are underwater duplex communication between diver and boat crew, underwater localization method based on buoys and a navigational unit with further sensors on the diver as well as the adaption of human/machine-interaction to the target application.

Duration: 07/2016 - 06/2018
Project management: Prof. Dr. Leonhard Reindl
Support: KMU-Innovativ

The Local Arena of Power Sharing. Patterns of Adaptation or Continued Disorder

The overarching question behind the research is whether power sharing agreements and other related forms of post-conflict reforms have an effect on levels of peace (order) in former hotspots.

Duration: 2011 - 2018
Project management: Prof. Dr. Andreas Mehler
Support: DFG

 

WiSKoS - Economic and Industrial Espionage in Germany and Europe

The project focuses on systematically analyzing the threat of economic and industrial espionage posed to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Furthermore, it deals with the respective risks confronting scientific organizations as well as assesses the stance of the police on this area of crime. The overriding interest consisted in developing measures for preventing the loss of knowledge and protecting confidential information.

Duration: 2015 - 2018
Consortium coordination: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans-Jörg Albrecht
Support: BMBF

Legal requirements for the architecture of information systems as elements of administrative single-decision-making and norm-setting processes in the EU

Drafting of Model Rules on EU information management procedures, mechanisms and structures as essential elements of administrative single-decision-making and norm-setting processes in the EU.

Duration: 2012 – 2018
Project management: Prof. Dr. Jens-Peter Schneider
Support: DFG (Research Grants)

Personal risk prevention in police law

The goal of the project is to develop a doctrine of personal risk prevention.

Duration: 2015 - 2018
Project management: Dr. Benjamin Rusteberg
Support: DFG

Alternatives to State-Sponsored Security in Areas of Extremely Limited Statehood (Central African Republic and South Sudan – Sub-project of SFB 700 Governance in Areas of Limited Statehood: New Modes of Governance?

The project aims to explain differing effectiveness of security provision (differentiated in output, outcome and impact) in areas of extremely limited statehood.

Duration: 01/2014 – 12/2017
Sub-project management: Prof. Dr. Andreas Mehler
Support: DFG

LIFENAV - Reliable Lifelong Navigation for Mobile Robots

The goal is to develop the foundations to design mobile robot systems that can reliably operate over extended periods of time in complex and dynamically changing environments.

Duration: 08/2011 – 07/2016
Project coordination: Prof. Dr. Wolfram Burgard
Support: EU FP7

 

BaSiD: Security, perceptions, reports, conditions and expectations – Monitoring security in Germany

The BaSiD joint project explored the relationship between subjective fears and the public security situation. Based on the project’s findings they produced a “barometer of security in Germany”. This will help end users in their assessment of innovation as well as in social debate.

Duration: 06/2010 - 08/2015
Consortium coordination: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans-Jörg Albrecht
Support: BMBF

Startup project: Telocate GmbH – Indoor sensing and navigation solutions

The Telocate system provides an alternative to GPS in buildings. By the Telocate members new approaches have been developed in the context of their research at the university making it possible to get rid of initial manual measurement of reference positions.

Duration: 06/2014 - 05/2015
Project management: Prof. Dr. Leonhard Reindl
Support: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

AURIS: Autonomous risk and information system for structural analysis and health monitoring of security-relevant buildings

The overall project was aiming to protect important infrastructures by integrating energy autonomous sensors into buildings’ supporting structures. The intention was that this will enable the building’s condition to be gauged and its stability to be assessed following incidents such as explosions, throughout the entire life of the building.

Duration: 06/2011 - 05/2015
Sub-project management: Prof. Dr. Leonhard Reindl
Support: BMBF

FIDUCIA: New European Crimes and Trust-based Policy

The objective of FIDUCIA was to explore the potential, as well as the limits, of non-coercive approaches to securing compliance with various types of criminal law.

Duration: 02/2012 - 05/2015
Project management: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans-Jörg Albrecht, Prof. Dr. Rita Haverkamp
Support: EU FP7

An International Comparative Study of Computer Crime Laws

As part of this project, existing laws on computer offenses will be examined in comparative fashion. The goal is to identify the current state of international and national computer crime legislation, examine best practices and alternative strategies, and clarify issues of legal harmonization.

Duration: 2009 - 2015
Project management: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Sieber
Support: n.a.

'Power-sharing' in Post-Conflict Situations: institutional prerequisites for sustainable peace

The project investigates the impact of power-sharing institutions on civil conflict recurrence. By focusing on the promises and the implementation of power-sharing institutions in postconflict periods, institutional prerequisites and important context factors for successful power-sharing are examined.

Duration: 2011 - 2015
Project management: Prof. Dr. Andreas Mehler
Support: DFG (Research Grants)

TRR 14: AVACS – Automatic Verification and Analysis of Complex Systems (involved in several Sub-projects)

This project addresses the rigorous mathematical analysis of models of complex safety critical computerised systems, such as aircrafts, trains, cars or other artifacts, whose failure can endanger human life. The aim is to raise the state of the art in automatic verification and analysis techniques from its current level to a level allowing a comprehensive and holistic verification of such systems.

Duration: 2004 - 2015
Project management: Prof. Dr. Bernd Becker, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Nebel
Support: DFG

Pattern recognition and video tracking: socio-psychological, sociological, ethical and jurisprudential analyses - Sub-project: Comparative law perspectives

The joint project gives support to several projects in the development of technical solutions for pattern recognition and video tracking and conducts interdisciplinary analyses in order to assess the threats and opportunities of these technologies for maintaining civil security.

Duration: 05/2010 - 09/2013
Project management: Prof. Dr. Thomas Würtenberger
Support: BMBF

History in Popular Cultures of Knowledge (DFG- Research Unit 875)

At the turn of the 21st century, the popular representation of history has reached a heyday worldwide. This Research Unit analyses current popularisations of the historical and pre-historical past on the basis of several case studies and aims to develop an interdisciplinary theory that will help to describe and interpret the phenomenon.

Duration: 10/2007-9/2013
Member of Project Management: Prof. Dr. Barbara Korte, Prof. Dr. Sylvia Paletschek
Support: DFG

Criminal law and philosophy - Philosophical foundations of criminal law and philosophical thinking in criminal law

The project aimed at establishing a first more comprehensive, or at least representative picture of the importance of philosophical thought for the contents of today's criminal law.

Duration: 2010 – 2013
Project management: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Frisch
Support: DFG (Research Grants)

POLIS: Police and Adolescents in Multi-Ethnic Societies - Interactions and mutual perceptions between police forces and (minority) adolescents in France and Germany

Based on rich empirical data, the research project investigated the daily interactions and perceptions of police and adolescents in two German resp. French cities in which half of the youth population is from migrant families.

Duration: 2009 - 2013
Project management: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans-Jörg Albrecht, Prof. Dr. Dietrich Oberwittler, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Roché (UPMF)
Support: DFG, L‘Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR)

SOGRO: Instant rescue at big accident with masses of casualties – Sub-project: Fundamental analysis of legal, economic and social aspects of the use of "RFID-based triage"-systems and and UAV in major accidents

This project aimed to find new approaches to improving emergency medical care for accident victims, collaboration between different emergency services and reconnaissance and situation assessment in major accidents, using Frankfurt Airport as its example

Duration: 02/2009 - 01/2013
Project management: Prof. Dr. Stefan Kaufmann, Prof. Dr. Thomas Würtenberger, Prof. Dr. Thomas Gehrig, Prof. Dr. Dennis Kundisch
Support: BMBF

Cybercrime and Prosecution – Assessment for the 69th German Jurists Forum

The project is part of an assessment for the 69th German Jurists Forum and focuses on the question, how the law should be adjusted to new specific challenges of the global information and risk society.

Duration: 2011 - 2012
Project management: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Sieber
Support: n.a.

 

Security Gaps without Telecommunications Data Retention?

The study, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Justice, examines whether security gaps for criminal prosecution and averting danger have arisen as a result of the changes in data retention laws (§§ 113a and b TKG).

Duration: 2010 - 2012
Project management: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans-Jörg Albrecht, Dr. Michael Kilchling
Study carried out on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Justice

Enhanced Process Model for IT Risk Management

The research goal is to provide company-wide consistent information about the actual risk situation. Therefor business processes and control models will be integrated and a data basis that considers the prevalent IT-infrastructure and the resulting IT-risks will be developed and tested.

Duration: 2008 - 2012
Project management: Prof. Dr. Günter Müller
Support: DFG (Research Grants)

 

I-LOV: Intelligent securing localising system for the rescue and extraction of trapped victims

The idea behind this joint project was to update and improve the emergency response procedure, which was originally specified back in 1942. The research was predominantly concerned with new techniques to considerably improve localisation of trapped and injured victims.

Duration: 06/2008 - 05/2011
Project coordination: Prof. Dr. Leonhard Reindl
Support: BMBF

AISIS: Automated generation of information and protection of critical infrastructures in the event of a disaster – Sub-project: risk communication in situations of danger and threat

The project is based on a scenario of massive damage to critical transport infrastructure, in particular tunnels and buildings, by terrorist explosives attacks. Two priorities are addressed in parallel under this project: an increased resistance of tunnels and buildings to explosives loads and the development of a situation assessment system.

Duration: 05/2008 - 04/2011
Support: BMBF

– Sub-project: risk communication in situations of danger and threat

The aim of the sub-project is to reprocess previous knowledge of risk communication in dangerous and threatening situations, the empirical study of the acceptance of security restrictions in the population as well as the processing of warnings in the normal population and relief forces.

Project management: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Bengel

Law, Norm and Criminalization: Discursive and Legal Attributions of Non-normative Behaviour

The project analyses the connections between the creation of norms, the legal punishment of non-normative behavior and the exclusion of forms of deviance from the norm through discursive means.

Duration: 2004 - 2009
Project management: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans-Jörg Albrecht, Prof. Dr. Monika Fludernik, Prof. Dr. Hans-Helmuth Gander
Support: DFG

Cyberterrorism and Harmonization of Criminal Prosecution

Imminent terrorist attacks via the Internet are frequently entitled "Electronic Pearl Harbor" or "Digital Waterloo." Until now, however, very few if any actual attacks have been registered. On behalf of the Council of Europe, this project examines both the opportunities and options that the Internet in fact offers terrorists as well as the currently existing international legal instruments for fighting cyberterrorism.

Duration: 2006 - 2007
Project management: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Sieber, Dr. Phillip W. Brunst
Support: n.a.