Strengthening operational resilience
As a follow-up to the NATO Emergency Management Exercise “BULGARIA 2025”, organized by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) and the Directorate General Fire Safety and Civil Protection (DG FSCP) of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Lessons Identified Conference took place on 09–11 February 2026 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The conference opened with remarks from the organizers, setting the tone for reflection and forward-looking discussion. Ms. Irina Novakova, Head of the NATO EADRCC, emphasized the importance of strengthening operational resilience in the face of evolving crises. She highlighted how innovation and emerging technologies can add a practical dimension to large-scale emergency management exercises.
In his address, Mr. Aleksandar Dzhartov, Director General of the DG FSCP Bulgaria, underlined the importance of this multilayered event, which successfully brought together practitioners and researchers with a shared ambition: to contribute to a safer and more resilient world.
Research meets practice
Notably, this was the first time that researchers were formally integrated into such a large-scale NATO emergency exercise alongside operational practitioners. This marked an important milestone, demonstrating a growing recognition that research and innovation are essential components of effective crisis response.
Representatives from numerous EU-funded projects participated, showcasing cutting-edge technologies and demonstrating their practical value in realistic operational scenarios. As highlighted during the conference discussions, research is not an abstract endeavor, it is a driving force for improvement. This was clearly reflected in the evidence-based conclusions presented by the research teams.
GEXTRECS contributions
On the final day of the conference, GEXTRECS had the opportunity to present its findings from research activities conducted during the “BULGARIA 2025” exercise. Almudena Sánchez González from GMV, representing the project consortium leader, shared key outcomes, observations, and insights, while also providing an overview of the project’s objectives and assumptions. GEXTRECS was among the EU-funded initiatives that presented results from surveys carried out during the exercise and actively engaged participants in discussion, encouraging reflection on lessons learned and areas for improvement.
Resilience emerged as a central theme throughout the event. This concept directly aligns with GEXTRECS’ core assumption regarding resilience communication as a pillar of effective crisis management. The conference format, designed to foster open exchange and honest feedback, created a valuable platform for in-depth discussion and meaningful analysis of lessons identified. As Ms. Novakova stressed, such personal interactions and transparent exchanges significantly contribute to driving future innovation.
Clustering and collaboration
Beyond the formal agenda, the event also served as an important clustering opportunity. The presence of multiple EU-funded projects such as PowerBase and Foresight created space not only for structured presentations but also for informal discussions among consortia representatives. These exchanges enabled projects to identify common challenges, overlapping research objectives, and potential synergies. For GEXTRECS, this provided a valuable occasion to discuss its underlying assumptions in greater depth, compare methodologies with peer initiatives, and explore possibilities for collaboration in areas such as resilience assessment, communication strategies, and technology validation in operational settings. The clustering dimension strengthened mutual understanding across projects and reinforced the collective European effort to enhance disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
Overall, the conference offered an excellent opportunity to exchange observations, share practical experience, and engage with relevant stakeholders, including potential end-users and national authorities. It created a dynamic environment for dialogue between operational actors and research communities, further bridging the gap between innovation and real-world application.
The conference was attended by GMV representatives, mentioned earlier Almudena Sánchez González and Sylwia Okrasa together with the project’s end-user Simon Gutzeit, ISAR Germany, who had first-hand experience participating in the exercise in September 2025. Their operational perspective added valuable insight to the discussions and reinforced the importance of continued collaboration between researchers and practitioners in future exercises.