CMDR COE and Space COE Hosted STO MSG-235 Working Meeting in Toulouse
Date: (29-06-2026)
Toulouse, France, 24 June 2026 — The Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE), together with the NATO Space Centre of Excellence (Space COE), hosted a working meeting of the NATO Science and Technology Organisation (STO) MSG-235 Research Task Group, “Space Weather Data Processing for Improving Resilience Models”, in Toulouse, France.
The meeting brought together military, scientific, academic and industry experts to review the progress achieved to date under MSG-235 and to coordinate the next steps in developing a scientific and technical framework for processing space weather data in support of resilience modelling. CMDR COE was represented by COL Orlin Nikolov, PhD, Director of CMDR COE, Chair of MSG-235, and experts from the Centre. International participants included representatives from ThinkTank Maths Limited, the University of Genova and Simulation Team, GMV, the Royal Observatory of Belgium /STCE-SIDC/, and the German Aerospace Centre /DLR/.
The two-day meeting focused on the current status of MSG-235, national and stakeholder updates, the presentation of the technical approach, and a structured review of the project’s technical report. Participants discussed data sources, technical requirements, analytical methods, validation needs, potential use cases, roles and responsibilities, and the roadmap for the next phases of the project.
A key objective of the meeting was to strengthen the link between scientific research, technical development and operational applicability. The discussions confirmed the importance of transforming space weather data into practical information that can support risk assessment, decision-making and resilience models in crisis management and disaster response contexts. The meeting also contributed to refining the MSG-235 technical report and helped identify further actions related to data processing, platform development, stakeholder coordination and future deliverables. The in-person format enabled focused technical dialogue and improved coordination among the participating organisations.
MSG-235 continues the work initiated under previous NATO STO activities related to space weather and resilience. The group aims to support NATO and partner nations by exploring how space weather data can be better processed, interpreted and applied to improve understanding of cascading risks and the resilience of critical systems. Through its leading role in MSG-235, CMDR COE continues to support NATO’s science and technology efforts by connecting operational needs with research, modelling and technical innovation. The Centre remains committed to developing practical solutions that enhance preparedness, situational awareness and decision-support capabilities in complex crisis environments.
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