AGILE project’s partner, Asso. Prof Dr. Saman Ghaffarian from the UCL Department of Risk and Disaster Reduction (RDR), participated in the COP29 session titled “Bridging the Digital Divide: Ensuring Inclusive Frontier Technology for Climate Action” at Baku, Azerbaijan.

This impactful sessionbrought together speakers from prominent organizations, including GIZ, UN-SPIDER, UNESCO, and key EU projects such as MedEWSa and CLINT, all sharing their efforts to address capacity gaps and promote equality in the field of climate action. During the discussion, AGILE’s contributions to advancing inclusivity through AI and machine learning were highlighted, emphasizing the role of innovative technologies in fostering equitable solutions for climate resilience.

Highlights of the discussion:

• How AGILE addresses challenges of inclusivity in model development.
• Tackling inequality by developing cutting-edge, inclusive AI solutions.
• Innovations in AI methodologies that close capacity gaps.
• Strategies to ensure equitable access to technology for climate resilience.

AGILE remains committed to empowering communities by integrating frontier technologies with disaster risk management to create a more resilient and equitable future.

Maurice de Beer from Veiligheidsregio Rotterdam-Rijnmond of the AGILE project was excited to participate in the inaugural Innovation & Technology Expo, hosted by the Nederlands Instituut Publieke Veiligheid (NIPV) in collaboration with the IFAFRI – International Forum for Advancing First Responder Innovation. The event, held in Nijkerk, Netherlands, brought together first responders, developers, and scientists to showcase the latest innovations in disaster risk management.

The event featured a series of engaging workshops and sessions, covering critical topics such as the future of first response, emergency management, human-AI collaboration, and the pivotal role of first responders in driving technological innovation. The expo hall was filled with groundbreaking technologies, including extinguishing robots, cargo drones, and even a flying car!

AGILE was proud to be part of this exciting event, showcasing our project alongside other EU initiatives. We engaged with first responders, exchanging valuable insights, and actively contributed to IFAFRI’s new podcast series, Frontline Innovators, recording episodes on key themes in first responder technology.

The expo offered a unique opportunity for the AGILE team to connect with industry leaders and contribute to the ongoing dialogue on enhancing disaster response and resilience through innovative solutions.

The AGILE Project’s 2nd General Assembly (GA) meeting took place in Setúbal, Portugal, from 8th to 10th October 2024. The event was hosted by partner ENA and brought together consortium members from 15 organizations across Europe, USA and Japan to discuss progress, key milestones, and the project’s next steps in enhancing resilience against High Impact Low Probability (HILP) events.

Key Outcomes of the Meeting:

Year 1 Achievements & Project Objectives:

The Year 1 progress report highlighted significant achievements and outlined key objectives for the upcoming period. The main areas of focus included:

• D3.1 Stress Test Methodology and Toolkit: Review and finalization of the methodology to integrate comments from internal reviews and GA discussions. Due in mid-November 2024.
• D1.2 AGILE’s Approach to HILP: Completion of the SWOT analysis on common failure points, vulnerabilities, and resilience. Due in mid-November 2024.
• D1.3 Strategic Foresight in HILP: Development of a new deliverable focusing on the role of strategic foresight, lateral thinking, and creativity in AGILE’s approach to HILP, due by January 2025.

To ensure the timely submission of high-quality deliverables, any identified risks will be communicated to the Coordinator, with due date adjustments available in consultation with the Project Officer.

Work Package Updates:

Each work package leader provided updates on progress, including research findings, collaborations, and developments in methodologies for risk assessment, resilience strategies, and stress-testing frameworks.

Future Deliverables:

The consortium reviewed upcoming deliverables, including publications, reports, and a collaborative online platform designed to improve knowledge-sharing across stakeholders involved in disaster risk management (DRM).

Collaborative Workshops:

Interactive workshops enabled participants to engage in discussions on improving the project’s impact, with a focus on integrating real-world applications in disaster response and climate change resilience.

Networking and Partnerships:

The event fostered networking opportunities between research institutions, NGOs, SMEs, first responders, and government bodies, strengthening collaborations for future project activities.

Keynote by Patricia Gaspar:

A highlight of the event was the inspiring keynote speech by Patricia Gaspar, where she addressed the importance of cross-sector collaboration in disaster risk management and resilience building. She emphasized the need for innovative approaches to address the challenges posed by HILP events, and how collective efforts can improve preparedness and response at local, regional, and global levels.

Next Steps:

Attendees outlined key actions for the next phase of the project, emphasizing the importance of maintaining momentum and cross-sectoral collaboration to achieve the project’s ambitious goals.

Closing Remarks:

The GA meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from all partners to address systemic risks and enhance the resilience of European societies.

We are excited to share that  José Manuel Palma-Oliveira and Dalila Antunes, from Factor Social represented the AGILE project at the 5th Annual Meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis-Europe Iberian Chapter, titled “Navigating Future Risk Challenges: New Approaches to Risk Analysis and Management.”

José and Dalila presented AGILE’s innovative, agnostic and system-focused resilience assessments, showcasing our Resilience Stress Testing framework with a dedicated poster. Their presentation emphasized how AGILE’s methodology helps assess and enhance resilience in the face of HILP events, contributing to the evolving field of risk analysis and disaster resilience.

The event provided a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and collaborate with experts focused on advancing risk management and resilience strategies.

Arkaprabha Bhattacharyya, Ph.D., Asso. Prof Nazli Yonca Aydin and Prof. Tina Comes from TU Delft | Technology, Policy and Management represented the AGILE project at the Singapore-ETH Centre conference, engaging with a distinguished group of experts in disaster resilience. The conference provided an invaluable opportunity to explore the latest advancements in disaster risk reduction, with a particular focus on digital twins as a transformative tool for enhancing resilience.

Throughout the two and a half days of discussions, Arka engaged with fellow researchers and potential collaborators, exchanging insights and strategies for building more resilient societies. The event served as a critical platform for aligning AGILE’s goals with emerging trends in the field, particularly in leveraging technology for better disaster management. Arka concluded that the growing emphasis on resilience, as highlighted during the conference, is a key driver for the future of disaster risk reduction. The insights gained will further enrich AGILE’s work in fostering societal resilience to HILP events.

Nazli Yonca Aydin organized the session titled “Unraveling Factors Shaping Resilience in Socio-Technical Systems”, alongside Omar Kammouh, Srijith Balakrishnan, and Hiba Baroud. The session focused on the complex interplay of social and technical factors in building resilience, a theme central to the AGILE project’s mission.

The AGILE project was honored to be introduced at the SPARK Seminar, hosted by Western University, Canada.

Our project coordinator, Rabea Schulz, delivered an engaging presentation on AGILE – AGnostic Risk Management for High-Impact Low-Probability (HILP) Events. The seminar provided an excellent platform to showcase AGILE’s innovative approach to addressing HILP events and share our work with an international audience.

We are grateful to Western University for hosting this enriching seminar and look forward to continued collaboration and knowledge exchange in disaster risk management and resilience.