The University of Lodz is a leader in an international project that is to help protect shopping centers against terrorist attacks. Its effects will include training for security guards in such places and for their managers.

-We spend more and more time in shopping malls. Not only we shop in them, but we also meet and drink coffee or we go to the cinema. It is not surprising that such objects can attract the attention of terrorist groups – says Prof. Michał Bijak from the Center for Biological Risk Prevention at the University of Lodz. – Such an attack, even if it did not end in a significant number of victims, would certainly spread panic, and this is the expected effect today for terrorists.

The Center for Biological Risk Prevention at the University of Lodz is the leader of the international project “Development of a CBRNE threat prevention system for large shopping centers.”

The project, financed by a special EU program will strengthen security (Internal Security Fund) and will be realized for almost 2.2 million euros. Its authors pointed out that shopping centers, despite their huge popularity, are not as protected objects as e.g. offices or stadiums during large concerts.