Training for wartime and crisis situations in the "Resilience Lab"

The "Resilience Lab", which is still under construction, is a hands-on security research facility for the public, emphasised Research Minister Dorothee Bär (CSU) at the opening event for the premises in a passageway near Ostbahnhof. 

The laboratory is a place where civilian aid organisations and the military can work together to develop and test new solutions, said Bär. In addition, members of the public can experience realistic crisis scenarios such as war, power cuts or natural disasters in an interactive way and learn how to cope with emergencies and dangerous situations. The laboratory will offer crisis training for public authorities and aid organisations, allowing them to experience hazardous situations interactively through virtual and physical scenarios. In the event of an emergency, all agencies involved should then be able to act quickly and in a coordinated manner.

The aim is also to prepare interested members of the public for crisis scenarios through digital means, so that they can learn how to cope with emergencies and dangerous situations. The aim is to strengthen self-reliance in particular, it was said. Citizens can answer questions on how to behave correctly in crisis scenarios, prepare for a power cut in a simulator, take on various roles in an interactive blackout scenario, and pack an emergency kit containing all essential items in two minutes. All tests and trials are scientifically monitored and evaluated. At the time of the presentation, it was not yet clear when the facility would actually open or when visitor groups would be able to visit the "Resilience Lab". Initially, the plan was for visitors to be able to visit from late 2026 or early 2027.

The "Resilience Lab" is at the heart of the "Resilia" Innovation Hub for Security and Defence project, which is run by the University of the German Armed Forces, the Berlin Fire Brigade, the Free University of Berlin and other research institutions, and is funded by the German government to the tune of millions of euros. The permanent "Resilience Lab" in Berlin is to be supplemented by a similar mobile facility and a digital platform. This will also involve digital learning and simulation games that "turn crisis management into a vivid experience". The aim of the project is to "empower people across the country to act more resiliently in everyday life and to be prepared for crises".

Minister Bär, Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU), Fire Chief Karsten Homrighausen and a representative of the German Armed Forces emphasised that the threat to Germany—from Russia externally and from terrorists and criminals internally—has grown, and that preparations for war and crises are urgently needed. “We want to be able to take precautions so that we don’t have to worry,” said Bär.