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.