Prevention Rather Than Reaction: A New Culture for Managing Risks
In many cases, our society only reacts to crises once the damage has already been done. Yet it is becoming increasingly clear that even minor disruptions—such as interrupted supply chains or a lack of information—can have cascading effects. A purely reactive approach is no longer sufficient in complex threat scenarios.
On January 1, 2026, the RESILIA project—an innovation hub for strengthening societal resilience—was therefore launched. RESILIA brings together stakeholders from civil society, security agencies, and the German Armed Forces to establish a sustainable culture of preparedness in Germany and lay the groundwork for coordinated action in crisis situations.
At the heart of the project are three interconnected learning and testing environments:
-Stationary Lab (Berlin Ostbahnhof): A hands-on environment for interactive formats. In specially developed escape games, participants work together to navigate simulated scenarios such as power outages or cyberattacks. The lab will be open for booking by interested citizens starting in 2027.
-Mobile Lab: Brings the game-based training formats flexibly to other cities, to locations such as schools or various events, and adapts them to local conditions.
-Digital Lab: Provides virtual platforms with AI-supported, adaptive scenarios for location-independent training, particularly in the form of serious games.
All three labs are connected via a digital twin developed by the Cognitive Social Simulation research group in Trier. This digital twin simulates complex crisis situations, links real-world decision-making processes with gamified elements, and generates valuable data for the further development of AI systems as well as for impact analyses.
RESILIA creates an open infrastructure at the intersection of research, simulation, and practical application. The project strengthens the resilience of the population and organizations, optimizes collaboration among stakeholders, and sustainably expands Germany’s position in AI-supported resilience research.
Partners
Berliner Feuerwehr, Akademie der Katastrophenforschungsstelle, Freie Universität Berlin, Helmut Schmidt Universität – Arbeitsgruppe Prof. Jörg Felfe, Helmut Schmidt Universität – Lehrstuhl Hybrid Intelligence,
