Research & Innovation

Increasing complexity in terms of technological systems integration, distributed system-capacities heavily dependent upon ICT, social and economic interaction, global geographic interdependencies, and man-made effects on nature, have increased socially experienced insecurities, from personal to environmental.

In this situation, URBSEC offers an interface between practice and academia where needs and problems as experienced by various social actors can be transformed into research projects, innovations, and solutions. URBSEC is a networked community of researchers and research capacities always on standby, functioning as a pool of resources to be mobilized and assembled corresponding to identified needs and priorities as well as requests and urgencies as they emerge in practice.

URBSEC research teams strive to develop innovations and solutions in terms of both goods and services that increase societies' capacities to: prevent various forms of accidents, crises, and catastrophes; avoid that such events lead to extreme and cascading consequences; and develop all involved and affected stakeholders' capacities to efficiently and democratically manage such events when they happen.

URBSEC researchers have identified four current Priority Areas. Research projects related to these areas are already running within participating departments, and involve numerous external partners. As a center for research excellence and collaboration, URBSEC facilitates exchange between projects as well as partners and intensify the value building process.