NBC 2025 symposium

Resilient Society is the theme of the NBC 2025 symposium. In case any chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear threat or scenario would realize, be it times of peace, crisis or war, societies must be prepared to survive and to continue functioning as close to normalcy as possible. The armies and defense forces are prepared and able to continue their assigned tasks under CBRN conditions. In crisis it is general population and civil authorities who face most heavily the consequences.

In normal times politics, conventions, laws and deterrence prevent serious crises to take place. Although we strongly believe in these we continue building arrangements of different kinds and levels to protect the general population. When a society is prepared mentally and technically, there are best chances for recovery from the unwanted but possible realized threats. Resilient society is not granted. Even when we have a resilient society, we all, citizens, business enterprises, municipalities and government administration, have a role to build it even stronger.

The participants and presenters of the NBC 2025 are authorities and representatives from academia, government, and private sector. The NBC 2025 is a forum for discussions about CBRN threats and national strategies, civil protection, and civil-military collaboration, dispersion modelling, detection, identification, decontamination and medical countermeasures. There will also be stands for equipment and poster presentations.

NBC 2025 is organized June 9–12 in Kokkola, which was founded in 1620 by the Swedish king Gustav Adolf II. Kokkola is located on the west coast of Finland and is nowadays an industrial and harbor town with largest concentration of inorganic chemical industry in the Nordic countries. Kokkola is a perfect place to follow and discuss impacts of industry on safety and protection of the general population and industry’s role as national supplier.

Visit the event's website https://nbc2025.org/

Short abstract of the NBC 2025 symposium:

The Finnish Association for Protection, Rescue, Security and Safety organised the 12th NBC International Symposium on CBRNE Threats in Kokkola on 9–12 June 2025. The main theme of the symposium was "Resilient Society". The symposium was held at the Kokkola City Hall, where the lobby and main hall were reserved for the symposium. There were 120 participants from 13 countries.

The topics covered at the NBC Symposium are typically related to CBRNE threats, their prevention, protection and recovery. The target groups of the symposium are decision-makers, experts and researchers in the fields of CBRNE protection and security, professionals in civil defence, rescue departments and health care, as well as professionals in the police, customs, border guard, defence forces, companies and industry.

On Monday, after the preparations, a get-together event was held in the evening in the Kokkola City Hall. The symposium was opened on Tuesday morning by the chairman of the Association, Timo Lukkarinen, and the Mayor of the city of Kokkola, Stina Mattila. The opening speech was given by Petteri Korvala, Secretary General of the Security Committee, on The Resilience of the Finnish Society.

Other keynote speakers were Director General Mika Salminen from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare; Research Manager Helene Thorsen Rønning from the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment; Director Åsa Scott from the Division of CBRNE Defence and Security of the Swedish Defence Research Agency; Head of Fire and Rescue Section Marcus Vilhelmsson from the Civil Protection Department of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency; Emeritus Professor Peter Blain from the Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University; Research Professor Hannele Korhonen from the Finnish Meteorological Institute; and Leading expert Jouni Mölsä from Ellun Kanat. The poster presenters gave a short "elevator speech" about their poster and the companies participating in the exhibition about their products and services.

On Tuesday afternoon, a visit to the Kokkola Industrial Park was arranged, and in the evening, the City's reception was held in the Museum Area. The symposium dinner was arranged at the Mustakari restaurant. After Thursday's presentations, a panel discussion was held. The abstracts of the presentations and the participants' articles were edited into a symposium publication.

NBC 2025 symposium in Kokkola June 9-12 2025