Dr Sotirios Argyroudis
Reader in Infrastructure Engineering

(Coordinator) PORTAL is pioneering an innovative, threat-agnostic framework to preempt cascading losses and establish resilience benchmarks with fit-for-purpose adaptation measures to proactively mitigate negative impacts on Port Infrastructure and interdependent Socio-eCOlogical systems (PISCO). PORTAL’s vision is important as ports handle 75% of the EU's trade, and face rising climate challenges, with $7.5 billion in global annual losses due to multi-hazard risks. In doing so, we deliver more resilient, inclusive and environmentally friendly PISCO. We do this through innovation, as we will deliver an interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder inclusive, and scalable approach to optimise PISCO’s resilience and sustainability, with emphasis on people’s needs and environmental benefits. PORTAL integrates cutting-edge technologies such as digital twins and generative AI (GenAI) to enhance sustainable adaptation strategies. This is achieved through tailored designs of win-win solutions, e.g Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), in inclusive and gamified PISCO. To achieve this vision, PORTAL includes a comprehensive training and capacity building programme embedded within its research, innovation, and dissemination activities. PORTAL leverages interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral secondments to enhance the skills of researchers and professionals through knowledge transfer. We facilitate decision-making to incentivise resilience strategies of PISCO operators, foster a safer environment and advance career development of participants, in line with EU policy goals for digital and green transition. PORTAL outputs include an advanced communication platform empowered by predictive tools, immersive training environments using augmented and virtual reality, and a library of actionable adaptation measures. These tools will empower diverse stakeholders identified through the empirical analysis of Socio-Ecological System (SES) to collaboratively improve environmental sustainability and strengthen resilience.

Horizon Europe Pump Priming Collaboration between UK and EU Partners 2025 awards

ReCharged is a transformative project that has the vision to develop a new integrated framework toward a practical visualisation platform in order to optimise and streamline climate resilience and whole-life carbon emission assessments for interdependent Transport and Energy Systems, Lifelines and Assets (iTESLA). To achieve this, ReCharged harnesses the power of digital technologies and data to quantify the functionality and recovery of iTESLA after hazards. This is in response to the lack of methods of assessment and communicable visualisations of consolidated climate resilience and whole-life carbon emission metrics for iTESLA. ReCharged will account for interdependencies that lead to failure propagation in transport and energy systems, to accelerate post-hazard recovery, mitigate losses and societal ramifications due to climate change. In doing so, ReCharged underpins synergies and participatory decision-making to combat siloed thinking in infrastructure management. This project will lead to 50% faster decision-making in iTESLA management, 50% reduction of carbon emissions for the two case studies analysed, create new jobs, and make Europeans fit for the Digital Age. ReCharged is a synergy that combines the exchange of interdisciplinary knowledge and tailored training of staff, through an alliance between leading academic institutions, industrial partners, SMEs, and a research and technology center. All beneficiaries are committed to exploiting and transferring their skills and knowledge, to incentivise data-driven resilience toward climate adaptation and reduce emissions in critical infrastructure. ReCharged will augment researchers' skills and career perspectives, create a community of practitioners, improve critical infrastructure, and ultimately make people feel safer