EU Conference on Public Space Security and Protection 2026
The EU Conference on Public Space Security and Protection 2026, was held in Nicosia, Cyprus, on the 12th of June 2026. The conference brought together policymakers, law enforcement authorities, researchers, and practitioners from across Europe to strengthen cooperation and advance innovative approaches to protecting public spaces such as universities, places of worship, cultural venues, and open squares.
The Conference was organized by experts involved in two major European research initiatives:
These initiatives lead cross-European efforts to develop integrated frameworks for the prevention, protection, and response to threats in open public environments.
As part of the programme, security experts from QSINT with the support of DIACONIA, led a table-top exercise simulating a disruption at a public event. The exercise focused on the evolving nature of hybrid and asymmetric threats and how to detect them early, putting the collaborative, multi-agency approach which is a key component of the VIRTUOUS project into practice at the Conference.
On behalf of the VIRTUOUS project, Alkis Kakoulis from the Cyprus Police and Lara Raggi from Zanasi & Partners participated in the conference’s High-Level Expert Panel which discussed topics on public space security and protection. Alongside Maksymilian Stela, specialist in the detection and identification of Chemical Warfare Agents and CBRN response procedures, and Pedro Liberado, expert in violent extremism and organised crime, the VIRTUOUS representatives focused on the phenomenon of lone-attackers and the challenges related to operational aspects of protection and response.
The discussion moved from today’s evolving threat landscape to the operational gaps faced by each sector when a major incident occurs, and, finally, to the role of artificial intelligence and hybrid threats in reshaping both risks and responses.
A recurring thread throughout the panel discussion was the need for a genuine whole-of-society approach: closer interoperability between science and first responders, better channels for research to reach practitioners, and stronger data-sharing to unlock the potential of AI in detection and prevention. The session closed with an open Q&A, giving the audience the chance to engage directly with the panelists.
The conference reaffirmed the importance of the cross-sector cooperation that underpins the VIRTUOUS project, with its partners demonstrating, once again, how research, operational practice, and policy engagement can come together to strengthen the protection of Europe’s public spaces.
The EU Conference on Public Space Security and Protection was organized by RESET, VIRTUOUS and UNICOPS initiatives, under the auspices of the Mayor of Nicosia and the Commissioner of the Citizens in Cyprus.
