Co-creating policies for societal resilience: a simulation exercise

On 1–2 April, the FUTURESILIENCE project held an immersive two-day workshop at the Risk and Crisis Research Centre (RCR) at Mid Sweden University, bringing together more than 25 participants from the project partner organisations, representatives from the 10 FutuResilience labs along with local attendees, workshop facilitators, and simulation tehcnical experts from the RCR Simulation Lab. 

The event formed part of a coordinated experimental exercise aimed at collaboratively designing forward-looking public policies to strengthen societal resilience. It also served as a testing ground for several outputs from the FUTURESILIENCE project, including its evolving Knowledge Base. The exercise commenced with a powerful, immersive simulation experience set in the fictional city of Veilburgh, a flood-stricken urban area introduced through a short film. Participants were taken on a guided scenario tour of the city’s emergency command centre and key locations impacted by an incoming category four storm. The simulation was designed to foster emotional engagement and deepen participants’ understanding of the crisis context. 

Following the simulation, participants took part in a policy workshop in which they were briefed by the fictional mayor of Veilburgh to co-create innovative public policy responses towards societal resilience. Working in small groups, each team received different sets of information, encouraging a diversity of perspectives and strategies. While the immediate scenario focused on an extreme weather event, discussions quickly broadened to include long-term structural challenges, such as social and economic inequality, environmental degradation from heavy industry, and the city’s capacity for anticipation and adaptation. Participants were encouraged to draw on both their professional expertise and a curated selection of policy interventions developed through EU-funded research. Among the proposed solutions were repurposing industrial areas into educational campuses, introducing financial incentives for community resilience initiatives, and implementing policies aimed at spatial justice and public safety. 

“There was a remarkable level of engagement” said some participants. “The film and simulation drew us into the scenario and maintained our focus throughout the workshop. This is the kind of experiential learning that could benefit policymakers everywhere”. Participants expressed high levels of satisfaction, remarking both the relevance of the exercise and the innovative format. The event highlighted the relevance of immersive simulation for policy testing, collaborative approaches to policy design and underscored the importance of transdisciplinary dialogue in building future societal resilience.

Press Release #4