Professor Magnus Ekengren (Swedish Defence University) explains the creeping crisis concept – slow-building, foreshadowed threats that can erupt into acute shocks if left insufficiently addressed – and explains why attention so often lags behind growing risk. This article was prepared as part of the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2025 publication “Securing the Future – Views from the Policy Area Coordinators.”
The article translates research into eight practical strategies for earlier intervention – ranging from pricing the cost of inaction and embedding researchers with practitioners to keeping collective memory alive and learning quickly from neighbours. PA Secure highlights direct links to our work, especially Strategy #3 (researcher–practitioner collaboration) and Strategy #7 (peer learning and study visits).