Cranfield University and the National Crime Agency (NCA), which leads the UK’s fight to cut serious and organised crime, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to share expertise and collaborate on projects of mutual interest.
NCA leads the whole system response to serious crime to reduce the impact on the UK and its communities. Its multi-agency and multi-disciplinary function TRACER (Threat and Risk Assessment, Capability, Exploration and Research), which represents the whole intelligence and law enforcement community, leads the partnership with Cranfield to develop knowledge and new technologies for future operational capabilities.
Kate Fisher, Deputy Director, TRACER said: “Criminals have always adapted to changing circumstances and adopted new technologies, a trend that has been exacerbated by the pandemic. It requires the law enforcement community to focus on research and development in order to adapt to new threats and opportunities.
“Working with academic partners such as Cranfield is critical, and so I am pleased that TRACER, as the lead for Science and Technology in the NCA, is here today to sign an MOU. It is a tangible sign of our commitment and ambition to deepen research ties.”
Professor Karen Holford CBE FREng, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University said: “We are proud to establish this partnership between Cranfield University and the NCA, allowing us to address new and emerging challenges in security. Our joint working will help ensure our research has real impact and will bring great professional development opportunities on both sides.”
Cranfield’s expertise in security is long-standing, and the University is the lead for the Academic Resilience and Security Community (A-RiSC), a network of over 60 universities formed to help government and industry access academic experts and the latest research in national security.
Cranfield University is one of the world's leading universities for defence and security education, research and consultancy.
Our staff and facilities are at the forefront of their fields, offering a diverse range of capabilities from energetics and forensic sciences to international stabilisation, counterterrorism and cyber security.
Cranfield provides specialist knowledge to industry, security and emergency services, military, governments and NGOs, underpinning defence and security sector reform around the world. As a postgraduate academic provider to the UK’s Ministry of Defence, we offer a unique gateway to delivering practical education and solutions that make a real difference to the lives of military, security, and civilian personnel.
