DIRECTED Webinar Series: Building Resilience Through Data, Governance and Communications
Across Europe, climate extremes are increasing in frequency and impact. Strengthening resilience requires not only improved risk data and forecasting, but also effective governance, collaboration and communication between researchers, authorities and communities.
The DIRECTED project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, has spent the past four years developing and testing new approaches to disaster risk management and climate adaptation. Bringing together partners from across Europe, the project explores how advanced modelling tools, interoperable data systems (Data Fabric) and collaborative governance approaches (Risk Tandem Framework and CLIMADA) can support more effective resilience planning.
A central component of the project has been the development of Real World Labs in several European regions. These labs bring together civil protection authorities, municipalities, researchers, businesses, insurers and local stakeholders to test new tools and governance approaches in real decision-making environments. The DIRECTED project has developed and tested a Real World Lab (RWL) approach across diverse European contexts, including the Capital Region of Denmark, Rhine-Erft region in Germany, the Danube Region with a focus on Vienna and the Hungarian Zala Region and the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy.
As the DIRECTED project reaches its final phase, the consortium is launching a webinar series to share key insights, innovations and lessons learned with a wider community of practitioners, policymakers and researchers.
The DIRECTED Webinar Series: Building Resilience Through Data, Governance and Communications will run from March to September 2026 and will bring together project partners and external experts to discuss how data, models, governance frameworks and communication approaches can strengthen climate resilience across Europe.
Each session will last 45-60 minutes, combining short presentations with moderated discussion and audience questions. The series is co-hosted with project partners and Real World Labs and aims to support knowledge exchange, policy impact and future collaboration.
Webinar Programme
Webinar 1
Local Insights: A Conversation with Real World Labs Practitioners
Friday 27 March 2026 | 11:00 CET
The first webinar explores how the Real World Lab approach has been applied across different European regions. Practitioners from Copenhagen, Rhine-Erft, Germany, the Danube Region and Emilia-Romagna, Italy will share their experiences of working with local stakeholders to design resilience strategies grounded in real governance constraints.
The session will examine what enabled progress, where challenges emerged and which elements of the approach can be replicated in other regions. It will also introduce the Risk Tandem Framework and the Data Fabric and other tools within DIRECTED from a practitioner perspective.
Relevant for: regional and national disaster managers, municipalities, EU policymakers and new EU-funded projects.
Register here:
Webinar 2
Governance in Crisis: Decision-Making Under Uncertainty
Friday 24 April 2026 | 11:00 CET
This session explores governance challenges that arise during major climate-related crises and the innovative approaches being tested through DIRECTED’s Real World Labs. Drawing on examples such as Storm Bodil, the 2021 Rhine-Erft floods and the Emilia-Romagna floods, speakers will examine how institutions make decisions under conditions of uncertainty, complexity and time pressure.
The discussion will also highlight the Risk Tandem Framework and its contribution to adaptive governance, cross-sector collaboration and improved resilience planning.
Relevant for: city authorities, EU governance networks and international organisations working on crisis management and climate adaptation.
Webinar 3
Data for Resilience: Building the DIRECTED Data Fabric
Friday 29 May 2026 | 11:00 CET
Reliable and interoperable data is essential for understanding and managing climate risks. This webinar introduces the DIRECTED Data Fabric, an innovation designed to connect models, datasets and decision-support tools across sectors and regions.
Speakers will demonstrate how the Data Fabric supports improved interoperability and enables integrated risk assessment across different systems. Case studies from the Real World Labs will illustrate how these approaches support decision-making in practice.
Relevant for: technical agencies, open data communities, researchers, SMEs and local authorities and disaster risk managers, planning authorities.
Webinar 4
From Models to Action: Risk Assessment and Forecasting Tools
Friday 26 June 2026 | 11:00 CET
Climate risk models play a critical role in understanding hazards such as floods, wildfires and droughts. This session will showcase modelling tools used within the DIRECTED project and explore how these tools support practical decision-making.
Speakers will demonstrate how modelling outputs can inform planning and operational responses for a range of stakeholders.
Relevant for: civil protection authorities, engineering and consultancy companies, insurers and scientists.
Webinar 5
Financing Resilience: Opportunities for SMEs, Insurers, Consultancies and Innovators
Friday 10 July 2026 | 11:00 CET
This webinar focuses on the business and innovation opportunities emerging from DIRECTED. Speakers will discuss exploitation pathways for project outputs and how SMEs, consultancies, insurers and investors can engage with new tools, data services and risk assessment technologies.
The session will highlight how industry actors can collaborate with research initiatives to accelerate innovation in climate resilience.
Relevant for: local authorities, businesses, consultancies, insurers, SMEs and investors.
Webinar 6
Why People Do Not Act on Risk Information and How Immersive Methods Change That
Friday 11 September 2026 | 11:00 CET
Understanding risk information does not always lead to action. This session explores communication challenges in climate risk management and introduces new immersive approaches designed to transform how people engage with risk information.
The webinar will showcase innovative communication tools developed within DIRECTED, including virtual reality experiences created by Oasis IRIS, and explore how creative approaches can help people better understand and respond to risk.
Relevant for: municipalities, disaster management authorities, NGOs and media organisations.
Webinar 7
Towards a European Risk and Resilience Ecosystem
Friday 25 September 2026 | 11:00 CET
The final webinar will bring together partners to reflect on lessons from the DIRECTED project and explore future pathways for collaboration.
The session will discuss policy recommendations emerging from the project and consider how initiatives such as Horizon Europe and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism can support stronger resilience ecosystems across Europe.
Relevant for: EU institutions, policymakers, research organisations and global resilience networks.
Information:
DIRECTED (Disaster Resilience for Extreme Climate Events through Interoperable Data, Models, Communication and Governance) is an innovation project funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme. The project brings together research institutions, technical organisations, public authorities and industry partners from across Europe to develop new approaches for managing climate-related risks. By combining interoperable data systems, advanced modelling tools and participatory governance approaches tested through Real World Labs, DIRECTED aims to improve how climate risk information is translated into practical decisions for disaster risk management and climate adaptation
Funding acknowledgement
The DIRECTED project is an Innovation Action under the Civil Security for Society – Disaster-Resilient Societies programme of Horizon Europe, funded by the European Union.
Associate partners SEI Oxford and Oasis Hub are funded by Innovate UK, and ETH Zurich is funded by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), Switzerland.
The views and opinions expressed in the webinars are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the funding authorities.
Contacts:
Dr Max Steinhausen – DIRECTED Project Coordinator –
max.steinhausen@tu-braunschweig.de
Tracy Irvine – DIRECTED Communications, Dissemination and Exploitation Lead – tracy.irvine@oasishub.io
