Crisis Management 2.0

Berlin, April 30, 2026 – Few Berliners likely expected such a turbulent start to the new year. In January 2026, approximately 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses in the districts of Zehlendorf, Nikolassee, Wannsee, and Lichterfelde were left without electricity and heating for more than four days during freezing temperatures. Just weeks later, in February, another power outage affected approximately 31,000 households and 2,000 businesses in Köpenick,[1] where residents and companies endured more than 30 hours without electricity. While the outage in Köpenick was triggered by construction work that simultaneously damaged both primary and backup power cables, parts of southern Berlin were plunged into darkness after a fire broke out on a cable bridge near the Lichterfelde Power Plant. Authorities believe the fire was the result of arson.[2] Construction-related damage, targeted sabotage – different real-world events such as these all point to the same conclusion: both civil society and the economy depend heavily on stable, highly interconnected critical infrastructure systems.

To simulate crisis scenarios under realistic conditions, test emerging technologies, and improve collaboration among stakeholders in public safety and security, Fraunhofer Institute für Open Communication System FOKUS officially opened the SIRIOS Lab in March 2026. SIRIOS – short for Security of Socio-Technical Systems – is a state-of-the-art research and demonstration environment for connected security systems, featuring large-scale visualization capabilities, immersive media technology, and a highly flexible spatial setup. The research facility builds on the institute’s Safety Lab, which has been operating successfully for more than a decade. Recent events such as Berlin’s large-scale power outages, the catastrophic flooding in the Ahr Valley, and increasingly severe weather events across Germany underscore the urgent need for modern security research. At the same time, these events serve as templates for potential worst-case scenarios that can be recreated, visualized, and analyzed in the SIRIOS Lab. Whether addressing the failure of critical infrastructure, natural disasters, evacuation operations, or crisis communication, the lab makes operational processes and technical interdependencies visible. It recreates real hazard scenarios and provides stakeholders from government, industry, business, and research with a platform to identify research needs and jointly advance more effective crisis management strategies. Above all, realistic simulation is designed to strengthen resilience – and with it, the ability to act decisively in times of crisis.

When it comes to resilience, the successful integration of multiple technologies is essential. That is why the ICT, Media and Creative Industries Cluster of Berlin-Brandenburg maintains close collaboration with research institutions and universities – including partners such as Fraunhofer FOKUS. Initiatives aimed at strengthening critical infrastructure began as early as the COVID-19 pandemic. Applied research is opening new market opportunities, while innovation consortia often give rise to entirely new value chains that can move directly from proof of concept into real-world deployment. Berlin Partner for Business and Technology supports the formation of these innovation consortia through its extensive network, connecting startups, SMEs and major corporations. The predecessor to today’s SIRIOS Lab – the SIRIOS research project of the same name – was launched as a lead-user innovation project focused on public safety at major events and disaster prevention. Today, technologies and research outcomes developed במסגרת the original SIRIOS project can be demonstrated directly within the lab – including security technologies that could significantly improve safety at large-scale events in metropolitan environments.

Resilience means asking: What if? The first live demonstration scenario is currently under development and focuses on the consequences of a severe storm followed by a large-scale power outage.The simulation examines multiple perspectives – from affected residents to emergency coordination centers such as police, fire departments, rescue services, and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief, as well as crisis management teams and critical service providers in sectors including energy, healthcare, transportation, and logistics. The goal is to answer fundamental “what-if” questions: How should information flow in a crisis? How can citizens be effectively involved? What role do digital solutions play? Which platforms – from volunteer coordination tools to social media channels – can support emergency response? Throughout 2026, additional scenarios will be developed, evaluated, and refined – helping cities, institutions and communities prepare more effectively for future crises, no matter the season.