NATECH Risk management and Resilience of High-TECH industries and Critical infrastructures across EUrope

ongoing

Ageing infrastructures, urbanization, and climate change are constantly increasing the vulnerability of industrial facilities and communities to cascading hazards. The REUNATECH Doctoral Network is a research and training programme that aims to educate and train Doctoral Candidates (DCs) on risk management and resilience for critical infrastructures (CI), high-tech industries (HTI), and communities across Europe against NaTech (Natural hazard triggering Technological accidents). This is achieved through integrating advanced risk-resilience methodologies, innovative technologies, and collaborative training platforms. The scientific objectives include (1) developing a holistic multi-hazard risk assessment framework accounting for cascading effects, (2) creating a digital environment using advanced technologies for real-time assessment, (3) advancing the dynamic risk assessment towards resilience improvements, and (4) establishing a digital risk-resilience framework for HTI/CI and communities. The training objectives aim to enhance the understanding between NaTech risk assessment methods and European frameworks through workshops, summer schools, and specialized sessions. REUNATECH ensures smooth communication across different fields and creates an environment where Doctoral Candidates, through training and international exchanges, can bridge the gap between academia and industry. The innovative objectives include creating a Virtual Training Environment (VTE) for disaster response training, integrating Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) using smart sensor systems, introducing resilience-based design software, and establishing NaTech multi-stakeholder collaboration platforms. With its interdisciplinary approach and robust methodologies, REUNATECH aims for timely, impactful, and scalable solutions aligning with European and UN sustainability and safety goals against NaTech challenges.