Projects to Policy Seminar helps build bridges between researchers and policy makers to enhance Europe’s Security Policies and innovations 

On June 25-26, NBSINFRA participated in the Projects to Policy seminar in Brussels, a yearly event, organized by the European Research Agency (REA) and the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME).  

The seminar gathered all projects funded under the CL3 Secure Societies Call 2022, including NBSINFRA, with the aim to establish a two-way dialogue between the projects and the European Commission services. Participants had the chance to discover insights on how the projects can shape and support policy implementations. 

The seminar also included breakout sessions divided into four thematic areas: 

• Fighting Crime and Terrorism & Critical Infrastructure (FCT/INFRA) 

• Strengthened Security Research and Innovation (SSRI) 

• Disaster-Resilient Societies (DRS) 

• Border Management (BM) 

NBSINFRA was part of the ‘Fighting Crime and Terrorism & Critical Infrastructure (FCT/INFRA)’ breakout session. During this session, Elisabete Teixeira from UMINHO, the project coordinator, presented the project’s objectives, challenges, achievements, and next steps: “Participating in the Projects to Policy Seminar was incredibly valuable for NBSINFRA. It provided us with a unique platform to showcase our project’s progress and achievements, and to engage with policymakers and experts. The breakout sessions were fundamental to highlighting common challenges and fostering collaborations. The seminar underscored the importance of resilient societies and the role of Nature-based Solutions in enhancing Europe’s security policies and innovations. This event helped us establish future synergies that will contribute to a safer, more resilient Europe.” 

Oyku Dogan, from ICONS Foundation, presented their approach to dissemination and communication activities and upcoming steps regarding NBSINFRA. “When communicating the project, we need to consider all stakeholders and target audiences, including the citizens. That’s why we planned upcoming social media campaigns such as ‘Glossary’ to explain the project’s technical terms to the general public. While it is a way to simplify updates for them, it’s also effective in raising awareness. This is, of course, one of many activities planned.” 

For NBSINFRA, creating synergies with other high-risk themed projects was an essential outcome. The discussions provided an excellent opportunity for project coordinators and communicators to come together, identify common issues, and lay the groundwork for future collaborations. It was also a great occasion to learn more about the European Commission’s services that support the project results and communication and dissemination, while offering guidance regarding the policy-related outputs the policy Directorates-General are interested in. 

Two weeks ago, NBSINFRA partner Licia Felicioni, representing the Czech Technical University in Prague, delivered a literature review presentation on the utilization of Nature-based Solutions (NBS) to counter man-made hazards. Her presentation took place at the PLEA – Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design 2024 International Conference in Wrocław, Poland. 

The 2024 PLEA edition highlighted the urgent need to rethink urban spaces and built environments considering resilience and climate change, with a particular focus on heat stress. Felicioni et al.’s paper, titled “Nature-based solutions performance versus man-made hazards: a literature review for enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructure,” investigates the effectiveness of NBS in safeguarding critical infrastructure against specific hazards. 

The study conducted a comprehensive literature review using various search engines to gather data and best practices on NBS and their impact on infrastructure resilience. The findings revealed that NBS can mitigate threats like terrorism and cyber-attacks, but they are also vulnerable to such hazards if not properly designed. This underscores the importance of thoughtful landscape design in addressing these needs. 

The research aligns with the NBSINFRA project which aims to bolster urban infrastructure resilience through NBS. The study provides robust foundation for exploring hazard mitigation strategies within Prague’s CityLab. 

The full paper is available in the published conference proceedings here. 

NBSINFRA partners reunited in Dublin to share insights and updates followed by a visit to the Fingal City Lab 

On March 25th, a Steering Committee meeting was held in Dublin, and the following day the partners had the opportunity to visit the Swords area, part of the Fingal City Lab, with the guidance of the Senior Parks Superintendent at Fingal County Council Kevin Halpenny and the Strategic Policy Unit at Fingal County Council Roisin Burke. 

The visit to Swords in Ireland provided the consortium with valuable insights into the municipality’s strategic plans for the upcoming years. One of the primary objectives outlined by the municipality of Swords is the revitalization of the Ward River Regional Park, with a keen focus on enhancing connectivity between the city center, the park, and the river. By re-evaluating and enhancing the Ward River Regional Park, the municipality aims to create a vibrant green space that serves as a recreational hub while also preserving the natural environment. In line with these goals, there are plans to decrease traffic congestion and reduce the number of parking spaces along main roads. Instead, there will be a shift towards prioritizing alternative modes of transportation such as cycling and walking, with dedicated areas. 

The Fingal City Lab is one of the five city labs across Europe set up by NBSINFRA to assess how cities can handle different challenges and stay resilient through Nature-based Solutions. Each city lab aims to investigate how NBS can protect local infrastructures, preserve biodiversity, and restore ecosystems confronting the challenges of climate change. Fingal aims to increase the resilience of the local economy and provide an accessible, inclusive, healthy urban environment.  

As NBSINFRA continues to lead the way in advancing NBS across Europe, the strategies developed through the five NBSINFRA City Labs will certainly help shape the future environments to be resilient, green and sustainable. 

Empower, enhance, protect: NBSINFRA paves the way for resilient urban futures

NBSINFRA presentation video showcases how the EU-funded project aims to boost local urban infrastructures resilience against natural and human caused hazards by designing, monitoring, and creating through the Nature-based solutions (NBS) for a sustainable and resilient society.

Through five City Labs -Ruse, Bulgaria; Prague, Czechia; Fingal, Ireland; Aveiro, Portugal; Cologne, Germany- NBSINFRA is dedicated to maximizing its impact. This will be accomplished by prioritizing solutions that are owned and co-created by citizens, end-users, managers, and civil society.

With illustrations and real footage, the video vividly illustrates the domino effect caused by the climate change, damaging the local infrastructures, and how NBSINFRA is here to help!

Watch the video here to discover more.

December 16, 2023, Brussels – The CERIS (Community of European Research and Innovation for Security) Annual Event 2023 successfully concluded after two days of insightful discussions and presentations on December 14th and 15th. Held in Brussels, the focus for this year was on “Fighting Crime and Terrorism/Resilient Infrastructure,” attracting a diverse group of participants including security research practitioners, policy makers, researchers, civil society, and industry leaders.

The event aimed to initiate dialogue and foster partnerships across sectors to address the pressing challenges in security research and innovation. Centered around the theme of resilience against crime and terrorism, the conversations higlighted the need for collective action to improve societal safety and security.

The NBSINFRA coordinator Elisabete Teixeira (UMINHO)  was one of the speakers, and talked about the vital role of involving NGOs and CSOs (Civil Society Organizations) in consortiums, sharing the valuable experience and insights gained from NBSINFRA’s initiatives.

The CERIS Annual Event 2023 served as a critical platform for stakeholders to converge, share knowledge, and strategize on future directions in the fight against crime and terrorism, as well as in building resilient infrastructures. The discussions and outcomes from this event are expected to influence the trajectory of security research and innovation, promoting a more secure and resilient Europe.