Building resilience together: Highlights from the Emergency Management Forum 2025

The 2025 Emergency Management Forum, hosted by GHD, brought together leaders, innovators, and emergency response professionals to explore the future of emergency management in a rapidly evolving world. Inspired by ongoing conversations with our clients about the need for collaboration and knowledge-sharing, the event focused on the intersection of technology, community preparedness and emerging risks.

A key theme was the transformative role of digital tools in emergency planning and response. From AI-powered predictive analytics to real-time data monitoring and automation, technology is helping organizations adapt to regulatory changes, enhance crisis response, and improve decision-making. Keynote speaker Dag Bøye from Microsoft shared how AI can boost resilience and operational efficiency across the sector.

As emergencies become more complex, the forum addressed challenges posed by new technologies, shifting supply chains, and environmental change. Topics included natural disasters, lithium-ion battery fires and hydrogen fuel safety — highlighting the latest strategies, mitigation techniques, and innovations in response.

The forum emphasized the cultural transformation needed to embrace innovation in traditionally risk-averse sectors. Discussions covered attracting top talent, developing future leaders, and fostering cross-functional collaboration and communication to ensure long-term success.

Ultimately, the Emergency Management Forum brought people together to advance emergency management by collaborating and learning from each other. It reinforced that resilience is built not just on technology, but on people, partnerships, and proactive planning.