Chaired by Michael Clayforth-Carr (CEO, SELEX-SI-UK), the International Working Group of RISC - “RISC International” - is an active forum that is attended by over 25 regular participants. The group meets in London five times each year to consider on behalf of RISC the industrial aspects of international security policy.

The priorities of the group include, but are not limited to:

• Establishing the availability of collaborative security research funding sources outside the UK  and improve access of UK  companies to them;
• Creating RISC’s relationships with key security organisations/initiatives outside the UK ;
• Examining foreign market case-studies (internal government connectivity, approaches to Research and Development etc);
• Providing industrial advice to the UK government on matters within the international security field;
• Promoting the capabilities of the UK security industry in overseas policy environments.

By joining RISC International, members of UK  industry place themselves at the centre of the industrial elements of international security policy by participating in roundtable discussions with leading UK Government and international security officials, and receiving a regular flow of information on key security policy developments, including:

• The security elements of the new EU Defence and Security Procurement Directive;
• The security aspects of the Lisbon Treaty;
• Opportunities arising from the EU “FP7” Security Research Programme;
• Security policy developments and operational requirements arising from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS);
• International efforts to reduce potentially unmanageable legal liability claims against security suppliers
• The international elements of the UK Government’s National Security Strategy and Strategy for Countering International Terrorism (“CONTEST”).

Over the past 18 months, members of RISC International have received presentations from leading figures within a broad range of UK Government departments, international bodies, think tanks and academic institutions, including: The European Commission, The UKTI Defence and Security Organisation (DSO), The Office for Security and Counter Terrorism (OSCT), the University of Southampton and the EU Border Agency (FRONTEX).


Eligibility for membership of the group is through membership of one of the participating trade associations of RISC. For more information on the group’s activities, or to attend future meetings, please contact the secretary of RISC International.

November 2009