Elena Gaura, Centre Director for Computational Science and Mathematical Modelling and Fluid and Complex Systems, Coventry University
20 October 2022
Resilience Beyond Observed Capabilities Network Plus (RBOC N+) is designed to create new knowledge, capabilities and opportunities for collaboration that could help the UK prepare for resilience-related challenges in the coming decades.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), RBOC N+ is a collaboration between Coventry University, University of Manchester, Cardiff University, Lancaster University, Ulster University and the Counter Terrorism Academic Practitioner Network (RUSI). In addition, the network has 9 partners from industry and government, including EnergyREV, who will help address growing concerns around national threats to the energy infrastructure.
The activities of the RBOC N+ are built around a scenario of a catastrophic attack on digital and energy networks in the year 2051. RBOC N+ will convene some of the UK's leading experts in engineering, physical sciences, mathematics, health sciences, social and behavioural sciences, arts and humanities, and cross-disciplinary topics such as AI, security studies and urban planning, together with government and industry, to refine, deepen and test this scenario and to use it to create immersive simulations that help consider what the future might look like.
The consortium will provide leadership across disciplines and sectors to build sustained engagement and collaboration. They will deliver a variety of activities, such as Workshops, Events, Publications, Funded Projects, as well as other research activities around the RBOC Network+ objectives.
Professor Elena Gaura, EnergyREV's cyber-physical theme leader, who is directing the RBOC + Future Leaders Forum, believes:
‘As Future Leaders Director of the RBOC N+, I am excited at the prospect of supporting the development of early career researchers working in energy and digital systems as future leaders in defence, security and resilience. I know that as a partner in the network, EnergyREV will play a vital role in building connections and collaboration that facilitate Smart Local Energy Systems that have the capacity to respond to current and potential future security threats. In offering a forum for diverse voices within the research community, this network will be instrumental in providing thought-provoking, innovative, and interactive events that bring people together to address future security threats.
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