The world is more uncertain than it has ever been since the end of the Cold War. Technology has led to economic growth, better healthcare and standards of living. It has also made the world more fragile through its interconnectedness. Every new innovation brings a malign new route to creating uncertainty.

Resilience is an active and adaptive process whereby systems react to and rebuild after a severe shock or crisis. This can sometimes help catalyse innovation.

Unsurprisingly, Resilience is a priority for the UK Government as highlighted in the Integrated Review (2021) and Resilience Framework (2022). Substantial progress has been made in building resilience in the wake of Covid-19, but there is much more to be done, including internationally as resilience is a global challenge.

In this fringe, we discuss resilience in three critical sectors – health, businesses and infrastructure. It takes on the concept of ‘Total Defence’ and considers what improvements must be made to ensure societal security and emergency preparedness.

Address: Imperial College London White City Campus, 80 Wood Lane, London W12 7TA

The venue is accessible by tube, Bus and cycling. Additional details will be provided on how to locate the venue via email closer to the event.