Security challenges of the green transition in urban und peri urban areas

Expected outcome

Project results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following outcomes:

• Identification and analysis of potential new security risks related to innovative technologies being deployed in the urban and peri-urban environments;
• Innovative and modern tools to identify and measure changes in urban and peri-urban areas caused by the green transition, insofar as they concern security and possible resilience approaches;
• Verification of measures countering potential safety and security risks, hazards and challenges arising in areas hosting green technologies;
• Contribution to building awareness and societal acceptance for the safety and security aspects of the green transition;
• Impacts of incidents involving new and emerging technologies are examined, including environmental and climate risks;
• Security, safety and resilience aspects of the supply chains of green technologies are analysed, including the technological and resource dependencies, and their aligning with the European strategic autonomy principle;
• Authorities and critical infrastructure operators are equipped with efficient evaluation methodologies for safe and secure deployment and integration of new and emerging technologies into urban and peri-urban areas.

Scope

Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to the world, and the green transition is a critical component of the EU's strategy to reduce and mitigate their impacts, as well as to contribute to the European competitiveness. This approach is also part of the effort to transform Europe into a modern, resource-efficient, resilient and competitive economy. However, rapid deployment of new and emerging technologies, such as, but not limited to: green and grid-interactive roofs and walls, solar power installations, electric vehicle charging stations, energy storages, smart sensors and surveillance systems, green transportation systems, nature-based or other sustainable or reused construction materials, or specific infrastructure solutions may create security risks through new interdependencies including legacy infrastructure, the accumulation of deployed solutions, or otherwise create new potential risks and hazards of unknown scale and origin.

Proposals submitted under this topic should investigate the integration of sustainable & environmentally friendly technologies into urban and peri-urban areas to identify and explore physical and cyber risks and vulnerabilities resulting from this phenomenon, including, but not limited to: battery fires, toxic leaks, electric shocks, structural integrity, toxic waste, data privacy, land management disruptions, including potential negative impacts on the natural environment, or social and community tensions. The proposals should also consider the threat of malicious access, software and data manipulation and misuse of managing systems potentially leading to harm to health, loss of life, environmental damage or economic damage, regardless of whether the intention is criminal, vandalism, hybrid attack or other.

The ultimate goal of this research is to inform operators, first responders and authorities on how to mitigate risks, enhance their preparedness and improve their response to potential incidents. By recognizing emerging threats, it should be possible to prevent major incidents from occurring, and in the event of an accident, provide effective strategies, managerial advice, processes and methodologies to respond and recover. The research should provide recommendations that are tailored to diverse communities and context needs such as those with different socio-economic profiles, adapted to people of different ages and genders to identify and mitigate physical and cyber risks and vulnerabilities. Proactively addressing major safety and security risks associated with the green transition will help to future-proof these technologies, build public trust, and promote their widespread acceptance, backed by evidence-based safety and security policies.

The proposed research should provide a comprehensive understanding of adaptive capabilities, the risks and vulnerabilities associated with green technologies, as well as practical recommendations for mitigating these risks and ensuring their safe, resilient and secure deployment while utilising the nature-based solutions and respecting principles of biodiversity. By doing so, it will contribute to the development of a resilient and sustainable urban environment, where the benefits of green technologies can be fully realized while minimizing their potential risks and negative impacts.

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant in relation to the objectives of the research effort.