On June 17, 2026, at the SS Rotterdam, the SYNERGIES project held a Validation Workshop that brought together 22 participants, including decision-makers and professionals from the Safety Region Rotterdam-Rijnmond and the Netherlands Red Cross. The Dutch case study specifically focused on flood-related risks, cascading effects, the integration of public and private emergency planning, and the role of organised and spontaneous volunteers.
During the event, stakeholders tested mature versions of the project tools, providing operational feedback:
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The ATLAS of Empowerment received a positive overall evaluation as a structured platform for supporting reflection and identifying preparedness gaps. The Self-Assessment Tool emerged as the most effective entry point to structure the understanding of the local context. Participants highlighted that practical implementation will benefit from clearer navigation and greater localisation of examples.
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The SAVIT Tabletop Game was welcomed as an accessible and engaging tool to discuss the integration of informal and spontaneous help during crises. Although it requires expert facilitation and simplified materials for optimal use, it effectively stimulated dialogue across different agencies.
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The SAVIT Catalogue showed promise as a reference resource to explore solutions and lessons learned, proving more useful as a follow-up consultation tool rather than during the rapid dynamics of the game.
The concluding “Journey” session confirmed a fundamental principle: the tools deliver their maximum value when SYNERGIES is presented as an integrated preparedness ecosystem, rather than as a set of isolated results. Long-term adoption will require precise contextualisation and the full integration of these resources into existing workflows and multi-stakeholder cooperation structures.
