Queen's University of Belfast - TRUST: Tracing Risk and Uncertainty in Security Technology
This research maps and analyses how new security technologies are developed in practice through
inter-disciplinary collaborative research between social scientists and engineers. It will contribute to
cross-disciplinary and applied knowledge about the drivers and challenges of science and technology
in relation to defence and security needs. It studies the HANDHOLD project (an integrated portable
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive detection device) that involves nine
partners including engineering companies, academics, and end-users from five EU countries. This
project explores how these different contexts affect the management of risk and uncertainty in the
development of security technologies. It examines how different understandings of risk and security
interact in processes of technology development, how risks and uncertainties are negotiated and
managed, and how the risk of failure and the security context shape the complex creative enterprise
of technology development. The methods employed include analysis of key documents; observation
of scientists and engineers in action, and interviews with key participants in different agencies. The
research will produce a number of reports and workshops for government and other stakeholders as
well as high quality academic publications. It will offer important lessons for technology
development, implementation, and policy making, as well as for academic knowledge.