Hosted by the Portuguese Guarda Nacional Republicana [National Republican Guard] (GNR) in collaboration with the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) and supported by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the Critical Infrastructure Protection Basic Course took place in Lisbon in November 2023.

This training featured a self-paced e-learning segment followed by a five-day residential program in Lisbon, supplemented by two field visits to the Digital and Transport Infrastructure sectors offered to nominated participants from EU Member States.

This training and educational initiative brought together representatives and experts from public authorities and critical infrastructure (CI) operators responsible for security strategy development, formulation, and implementation. Participants gained insights into CER and shared expertise on new technologies, initiatives, trends, networks, and projects related to CI protection, governance, and resilience. Key aspects of the training included providing participants with updates on policies, instruments, and available tools, aiming to:

• offer an overview of evolving CI protection/CER efforts;
• foster strategic foresight in CIP/CER and resilience planning activities at various regulatory or coordinating authority levels or among CI owners/operators;
• present the latest research in the field of CIP/CER and provide insight into systemic transformations from national to European and global levels, highlighting emerging risks, vulnerabilities, and threats;
• introduce the integration of technologies and advancements in data acquisition and processing;
• familiarise participants with developments in the toolbox available to CIP practitioners and policymakers to understand and address CIP/CER risks.

This non-specialised course, at an awareness level, covered topics from diverse perspectives, including those from the public and private sectors, as well as regional, national, European and research viewpoints. The atmosphere was very conducive to networking and the exchange of knowledge and experiences, prompting plans for an advanced-level continuation of this course.