Mr. Hiller, you have been recently elected Chair of the Implementation Advisory Board of the National Resilience Platform. What does this role mean to you—and to Fraunhofer EMI?

Daniel Hiller: I see my election as recognition that scientifically grounded resilience analysis is now in demand at the policy level. For Fraunhofer EMI, it is also a major opportunity: we contribute decades of expertise, ranging from technical resilience to the assessment of complex socio-technical systems. The Implementation Advisory Board is precisely where research, policymaking and practice converge—helping to turn sound concepts into effective action.

The present year has once again been marked by crises—from attacks on Berlin’s power grid and airports to wildfires and flooding. Why is resilience so crucial right now?

Daniel Hiller: Because our world is more interconnected—and therefore more vulnerable—than ever before. An attack on the power grid can bring communications, supply chains and production to a standstill within hours. In summer, flashfloods and heatwaves push entire municipalities to the limits of their capacity. Resilience means not merely withstanding disruptions but emerging from them even stronger.

It is no longer a peripheral issue, but a strategic task for the future for policymakers, businesses and society as a whole. And one thing is clear: the shocks and stressors will continue to increase in both frequency and severity.

Since January 2026, the National Policy on Critical Infrastructure Protection has been in force. Around 30,000 operators are required to submit resilience plans. Which changes does that bring?

It creates an enormous demand for robust assessment methods. Operators must demonstrate in concrete terms how they are improving their physical resilience. That requires tools that make risks transparent and manageable.

Time and again, we find that the relevant information and data on existing measures and resources are available—but scattered across different locations and management levels. Coordination often takes place over the phone, and no one has a complete overview of the situation. There is also often a lack of reliable quantitative evidence on the effectiveness of different protection and security measures—especially when multiple measures and technologies need to work together to achieve an overall level of protection.

Our role is to provide that complete picture—and to make it usable for decision-makers when a crisis hits.

Fraunhofer EMI is deeply rooted in Freiburg and the surrounding region. Where does this become specifically noticeable?

Daniel Hiller: It is evident, first and foremost, in the projects we carry out with local partners. In the Freiburg RESIST project, for example, we worked with the city to develop an integrated digital resilience-management system for large-scale events. Anyone who has made their way through the narrow streets of the city center during the carnival parade or the Christmas market knows the challenge: How do large crowds move through the area? Are the routes suitable in an emergency? Can emergency services get through quickly enough? We are developing tools that use a digital 3D model of the city to calculate the visibility of warning displays and how clearly public-address announcements can be heard. This is complemented by privacy-preserving crowd-density monitoring that forecasts pedestrian flows and potential bottlenecks.

You are working on concrete local projects while also helping to shape the national resilience agenda. How do these two levels condition each other?

Daniel Hiller: Very directly—and in both directions. What we test under real-world conditions in Freiburg and the surrounding region sharpens our understanding of what is genuinely needed at the national level. Conversely, our work within the National Resilience Platform feeds new ideas and insights back into local projects.

Purely conceptual work without this practical grounding falls short—and, conversely, local action often remains ineffective without a broader framework. For me, this connection is not a by-product; it is at the heart of our approach.

As Chair of the Implementation Advisory Board, you now also have an influence on the national agenda. What would constitute a tangible success for you five years from now?

Daniel Hiller: That resilience is no longer just written on paper. Today, many operators and municipalities have plans sitting in drawers—but when a real crisis occurs, no one refers to them because they are too abstract or the systems do not work together.

My goal is that, five years from now, we will have an infrastructure in which data flows seamlessly, responsibilities are clearly defined and decision-makers have a reliable common operating picture within minutes of a crisis emerging. That is what we work towards every day

Thank you for speaking with us!