With more than forty years of experience at BOSCH, Staal brings with him a mountain of practical insights. From his independent and enthusiastic role he successfully connects a wide range of parties within the security domain: from software suppliers, IT and network specialists and parties who organize control rooms to users such as traffic centers, security operations centers, company alarm centers and emergency services.
Broad spectrum of questions
What questions do parties knock on the door of Control Room Square with? "This is very diverse. From questions about technological applications, such as AI to questions about the human factor of the work: how do you effectively deal with an increasingly complex environment as an operator and switchboard operator? Or questions about how big this market actually is. How much turnover are we talking about, in the Netherlands alone, in the entire control room domain? A control room is not a collection of screens, but an ecosystem of people, technology and collaboration." With that last sentence, Roeland Staal sums up in one sentence what today is really about. Especially in a multidisciplinary playing field, connection is essential. This approach ensures that ideas do not remain stuck in vision documents, but are actually translated into concrete applications. Or as Staal puts it: "Too often we think: we have a good product, so that will solve the problem. But it works the other way around. You have to know the problems first, only then can you develop the right solutions."
Safety & security: from separate worlds to one domain
When asked about the safety & security market, it has changed significantly over the past five years. Whereas both domains used to operate relatively separately, Staal sees that they are increasingly merging into one another. Security traditionally focused primarily on technology, such as cameras. Safety more often had to do with people, aggression and life safety. Nowadays, he says, these worlds are converging. Not only in control rooms, but also in industrial environments, facility services and even hospitality. Data plays an increasingly important role in this. Information is integrated, shared and used to provide faster and better action perspectives. Steel: "Everything revolves around information, and how to use it intelligently to keep people safe."
Technology as assistant, man as director
Technological developments will be rapid in the coming years. "You can already see how quickly AI is being integrated within the emergency room world. Artificial intelligence, data platforms and smart analysis tools are radically changing the work in control rooms. Internet of Things (IoT) has already brought many advances, but AI is really creating a tipping point in the security domain. It gives a huge efficiency boost. At the same time, he says one factor always remains decisive: the human behind the desk to monitor and make choices. "Technology is supportive, not leading. It helps dispatchers make faster and better decisions, but human work remains the core." AI is clearly evolving more and more into a digital assistant, organizing, analyzing and presenting large amounts of data in an orderly fashion. "This creates a so-called Common Operational Picture: one shared, up-to-date picture that can be used by different disciplines simultaneously. Exactly that makes multidisciplinary action in practice possible." The biggest development for the coming years? According to Staal, that - without a doubt - is precisely that multidisciplinary cooperation. Boundaries between organizations are blurring, data is being shared and control rooms are increasingly working together supra-regionally. "No single party can do it alone. Safety is by definition a joint responsibility," he clarifies.
The bigger our community the sooner we can make the Netherlands a little bit safer."
From paper to vision to practice
A major challenge remains translating vision into daily reality. There is much talk of innovation, but operationalization, according to Staal, requires more: listening to the market, understanding what professionals need and converting those insights into concrete applications. This is where Meldkamerplein plays a central role. Through knowledge sessions, roundtables and meetings, experiences are shared, networks are built and ideas are tested in practice, such as during the biannual eRIC. It is precisely there that it is visible how multidisciplinary cooperation works in practice. "Make friends before you need them. That is perhaps the most important motto in our sector," he emphasizes.
Gamechangers, but also struggling
According to Staal, all these technological developments provide enormous efficiency , but there are also quite a few obstacles. "You also have to be able to rely on AI outcomes and take into account privacy regulations, such as the AVG. In addition, concerns about AI bias (take bias from AI with ethnic profiling), errors and 'Big Brother' feelings play a role. Organizations must therefore invest in good guidelines, reliable models and clear agreements about who is responsible if something goes wrong. Building trust is crucial here."
Concerns about bias from AI with ethnic profiling, mistakes and 'Big Brother' feelings play a role."
Why eRIC is indispensable to me
For liaison Roeland Staal, eRICis the place where technology, policy and practice come together. Visitors discover not only new solutions, but especially new partners. "You see the whole ecosystem together here. That's where real progress occurs," he says enthusiastically. It is precisely this mix that makes eRIC so valuable to Staal. At the fair, he explicitly seeks the conversation with three groups: the market, suppliers and knowledge centers. Not one of those parties can move the security domain forward on its own. "I prefer to talk to all three. I want to know what's going on in practice, what solutions the market can offer and which knowledge centers are collaborating on new developments. Only by connecting those three worlds can you really translate ideas into operational deployment. I hope that visitors above all gain insight into how important multidisciplinary cooperation is," concludes the community manager.
Want to visit eRIC and the Meldkamerplein? Claim your ticket for April 22 and 23 at Twenthe Airport here.
