The SHIELD project addresses Europe's growing exposure to complex and cascading crises, where natural, technological and man-made risks increasingly intersect. The SHIELD project will not view resilience to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons as a purely technical issue, but as a challenge in governance, trust and coordination. It will develop and validate an interoperable socio-technical system that will improve preparedness, communication and operational continuity between authorities, critical infrastructure operators, emergency responders and citizens. By integrating the MAESTRO operational management platform, the Adaptive Multi-Agency Coordination System (ACE), the Observation and Reporting Tool, the Evacuation Simulation Module and the Citizen mobile app into a single digital ecosystem, SHIELD will enhance decision-making, data sharing and citizen engagement during multi-hazard emergencies. Through interdisciplinary research, policy and legal frameworks and participatory training, as well as simulation and field technical exercises in Spain, Slovenia and Cyprus, the project will combine digital innovation with social science insights to build trust, inclusiveness and behavioural preparedness. EU-LAC cooperation is supported through the already established networks of SHIELD consortium members, which are creating Community Resilience Hubs, as well as a replicable model for inter-regional preparedness and self-reliance, directly contributing to the EU Preparedness Strategy 2024-2029 and the EU Disaster Resilience Objective.
