Targeted innovative capabilities for the resilience of critical entities to natural and human-induced disasters, including hybrid scenarios

Worum geht es in dieser Ausschreibung?

The topic funds sector-specific technology and cooperation frameworks that help critical entities prepare for, respond to and recover from compound and NaTech disasters. Projects are expected to reach technology readiness level 6-7.

Was fördert diese Ausschreibung?

Scope

Recent compound and cascading disasters show the need to strengthen the resilience of critical entities against human-induced incidents, natural events such as floods, wildfires, earthquakes and storms, and natural hazard triggered technological (NaTech) accidents, including hybrid scenarios. Growing interdependencies spread risk across sectors and borders. The topic supports development and demonstration of targeted high-tech capabilities that close specific preparedness, operational and recovery gaps for critical entities, moving beyond generic frameworks to sector-specific, interoperable and modular technological and governance solutions tested in realistic operational settings. Critical entities include, among others, infrastructure covered by the revised EU Maritime Security Strategy and the European Port Strategy.

What proposals should do

• Build on existing risk assessments and lessons from recent disruptions, and identify and prioritise critical capability gaps, especially where cascading and cross-sector risks arise, to deliver measurable technological and organisational improvements.
• Design adaptive continuity planning and decision-making tools that improve situational awareness, support dynamic response coordination and keep services running in fast-moving crises.
• Demonstrate cross-border, multi-actor coordination mechanisms through simulations or tests in real operational environments, involving public authorities, emergency responders and critical service operators, or representative environments where infrastructure is highly exposed to multi-hazard risk.
• Take account of relevant EU legal and policy frameworks, encourage international cooperation especially where infrastructure is cross-border or shares vulnerabilities, and address the applicable considerations in the introductions to the Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster-Resilient Society for Europe destinations.

Successful proposals should coordinate with projects under two earlier open critical infrastructure topics and an earlier topic on high-tech capacities for crisis response after a NaTech disaster. Activities are expected to reach technology readiness level 6-7 by the end of the project.

Expected outcomes

Contributions to some or all of: better understanding of systemic vulnerabilities of critical entities in physical, digital, operational and cross-sector dimensions; verification of existing measures against NaTech risks; demonstration of advanced technology that helps public and private service providers prepare for, respond to and recover from multi-hazard and hybrid events; common platforms and operational tools for dynamic risk assessment and decision support among authorities, responders and operators; and stronger multi-level, cross-border cooperation for integrated emergency and continuity management.

Wann endet die Einreichungsfrist?

5. November 2026

5 November 2026.