DCNA's expert working groups are crucial for professional exchange and strategic cooperation in security and disaster research – as demonstrated once again at a working group meeting on May 26 at Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Upper Austria.

After a welcome address by DCNA's Managing Director Christian Resch, Anja Münzer (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs) provided an insight into the new EU Preparedness Union Strategy and its significance for research and practice in crisis and disaster management. Following this, the six DCNA working groups worked in breakout sessions on current challenges, joint projects, and potential collaborations. Concrete ideas for webinars and policy briefs were also discussed to bring important topics to the attention of the community and decision-makers.

DCNA's working groups offer space for interdisciplinary exchange, access to expertise, tools, and research models, as well as the coordination of excellent, internationally relevant research initiatives. Specifically, they address the following topics:

• Mass movements, avalanches, and earthquakes
• Critical infrastructure and industrial hazards
• Floods
• Extreme weather events
• Disaster risk
• Public health

Thank you to all participants and contributors – we look forward to the next steps! Learn more about our experts groups here.