From August 25–29, 2025, the PREPSHIELD project was represented at the Social Simulation Conference (SSC) 2025 in Delft, hosted by the European Social Simulation Association (ESSA) – the world’s leading hub for social simulation research.
Researchers Francesca Giardini and Echo Teng Li (University of Groningen) presented the first Agent-Based Model (ABM) developed within the PREPSHIELD project.
The model attracted significant interest from participants and led to stimulating discussions with the international research community.
Key insights from the model:
- Improving health literacy is vital for fostering compliance with health measures, especially among vulnerable populations.
- Trust-building strategies are more sustainable than fear-based approaches when encouraging compliance, particularly in the long term and with vulnerable groups.
This presentation highlights PREPSHIELD’s contribution to advancing the role of social simulation in crisis preparedness, reinforcing the project’s commitment to inclusivity, resilience, and evidence-based strategies for managing future health crises.
📸 See some moments from the event below.
English 
Italian 
Romanian 
German