The number and severity of disasters are increasing in Europe, due to climate change, ageing of industrial facilities and infrastructures, geo-political instability, poor knowledge management for critical activities and the vulnerability of the population exposed (density, age, migration…). To face these challenges, firefighters, rescuers, emergency medical responders and civil protection staff, have to implement effective and affordable solutions to support their operations. The DIREKTION project will establish and implement mechanisms and procedures to enhance knowledge sharing by directing the development of innovative technologies answering the needs of practitioners and policymakers. The steering role of international organisations (CTIF, FEU) and end-users will guarantee useful and practical results. The project starts with the deployment of tools assessing the relevance and interoperability of innovative technologies developed by EU Horizon projects. A structured analysis of needs and gaps and the screening of potential solutions will then be undertaken. The procedures will use the outcomes of projects like FIRE-IN, DRIVER+ / CMINE, MEDEA, the pilot for the Network of European Hubs for Civil Protection and Crisis Management and will follow the taxonomy of the EU security market study to ensure a structured use of results. Based on the capability-driven evaluations and a detailed analysis of the opportunities and constraints for the uptake of innovative solutions, DIREKTION will establish priorities for future research programming and capacity building. Moreover, the project will further establish networking and dissemination opportunities of interest for the DRS community in close collaboration with industry, SMEs & start-ups, research organizations and practitioners, at EU and national levels. DIREKTION will strengthen current practice and future research and innovation planning in disaster resilience.

As (peri-)urban areas become increasingly digital, interconnected, and complex, alongside growing threats such as climate change, natural disasters, or cyber-attacks, there is an urgent need to enhance the resilience and security of critical infrastructures (CIs) and the essential services they support. ECHO addresses these challenges by creating a multi-level Resilience Ecosystem that unites CI operators, Emergency Service Providers (ESPs), local/regional authorities (AUTs), and emergency service providers (EMPs) to co-create innovative tools, services, and strategies, for enhanced (urban) resilience planning and management. ECHO develops an EU-sovereign Knowledge Hub and a suite of interoperable, modular, and cost-effective services, accessible via a centralized Platform. These include tools for threat forecasting, risk assessment, situational awareness, decision support, resilience plan evaluation, and scenario-based simulations, tailored to address diverse multi-hazard threats. Our Information Sharing Protocol ensures cost-effective resource pooling and collaboration, helping smaller municipalities overcome budget constraints. By using cutting-edge technologies such as Generative AI, we enable advanced modelling, forecasting, and decision-making while ensuring transparency and data security. ECHO operates through 4 pilot sites in Slovenia, Italy, Spain, and the cross-border Italy-Slovenia region, addressing multiple hazards (floods, landslides, drought, earthquakes, wildfires, infrastructure failures, cyber-attacks) and engage diverse stakeholders (AUTs, ESPs, EMPs) to test and validate our solutions in relevant settings, ensuring scalability and adaptability across Europe. Through comprehensive impact-generation activities, ECHO promotes best practices, empowering stakeholders of all sizes to strengthen the resilience of interconnected systems, enhancing the security and wellbeing of European citizens and communities.