The NATO Emergency Management Exercise “BULGARIA 2025” was organised from 7 to 12 September 2025 by the NATO Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) and the Directorate General Fire Safety and Civil Protection of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria. The large-scale exercise was hosted at the Professional Training Centre for first responders in Montana, Bulgaria, and brought together 1,200 participants from more than 40 countries and organisations.
Civilian and military teams trained side by side to enhance preparedness, strengthen resilience, and improve coordination in response to complex, large-scale crises. A major milestone of the 2025 edition was the active involvement of research teams in the exercise operations. For the first time, researchers participated directly through operational support, virtual-reality applications, observation activities, and structured data-collection efforts.
Among the selected research participants, ISTAR-Iscte was the only university-based research centre representing Portugal. The initiative, carried out within the Horizon Europe projects RETIME and InCITIES, was conducted by Catarina Ferreira da Silva and Stefania Stellacci (ISTAR-Iscte), together with Pedro Seabra (CEI-Iscte), and was selected from a large pool of international applications.
The exercise scenario simulated a major earthquake resulting in mass casualties and damage to a nuclear power plant, testing cooperation across a wide range of actors, including NATO Allies, partner nations, non-governmental organisations, international institutions, and the scientific community. Beyond evaluating response capabilities, BULGARIA 2025 fostered the exchange of best practices and innovation in crisis management, reinforcing international civil-military collaboration and highlighting the growing role of research and digital tools in emergency preparedness and response.
Through its participation and contribution to the Lessons Identified Conference, RETIME continues to strengthen links between research, operational practice, and policy, supporting more resilient and coordinated disaster-risk management across Europe and beyond.
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Cover photo credit: Photo by Pham Ngoc Anh
