Why Mapping Weak and Blind Spots Can Become a Source of Trust and Innovation

Alexander Mannweiler, Head of the Sustainable Business and Entrepreneurship, has been engaging with the topic of resilience with cities, businesses, and communities. In this piece he explains why we need to move from exposure to agency and how that can be done.

“Thinking about weak or blind spots is not the most positive exercise. At least not at first glance. However, when resilience is not only seen as crisis response, mapping vulnerabilities is an added value. It is a way for organisations to understand their dependencies, reveal their weaknesses, strengthen relationships, and innovate.”

Preparedness means asking the right questions at the right time

In a world shaped by overlapping crises, resilience is no longer a nice-to-have. It is becoming a practical necessity. Risks that once felt distant or exceptional are now shaping everyday decisions: territorial conflicts, climate change, biodiversity loss, trade disruptions, and rising tariffs are influencing supply chains, investment decisions, public services and the daily operations of cities, civil society organisations, and businesses.

Policy is moving in the same direction: the EU Preparedness Strategy uses a whole-of-society preparedness logic; the European Climate Risk Assessment shows that climate risks are already systemic and cross-sectoral.

Those who understand their vulnerabilities today are better off tomorrow

From my perspective at the CSCP, and also from a business background, one insight stands out clearly: organisations that take time to understand their vulnerabilities today will be better prepared to act tomorrow.

This is not about predicting every possible disruption. It is about asking the right questions early enough.

Which materials, suppliers or partners are critical? Where are we dependent on long, fragile or opaque supply chains? Which processes would fail first if a key input suddenly became unavailable? Where do we already have options to adapt, substitute or collaborate differently?

Companies can use these questions to identify dependencies on key materials, suppliers, IT providers, logistics routes or energy inputs.

Cities can use them to test which essential systems would come under pressure first during heatwaves, floods or energy and fuel shortages: elderly care, public transport, water supply, hospitals or emergency services.

Civil society can use them to ask who is being reached, who is being left out, who is trusted locally, and how preparedness can strengthen social cohesion instead of deepening existing inequalities. The EU’s 2025 Strategic Foresight Report frames resilience as a forward-looking capacity, and Germany’s Deutschland-Monitor 2025 speaks directly to how people relate to change and reform.

Resilience starts with knowing what we depend on

Talking about resilience has also the huge benefit of creating self-awareness. When organisations map their dependencies, they gain a clearer picture of their stakeholders, their strengths, and their blind spots. They understand better which customers, clients, suppliers, local actors and public partners they need to involve in preparation efforts. That knowledge can lead to stronger relationships, greater trust and more confidence in one’s own ability to respond.

There is also an innovation dimension. Once critical dependencies become visible, new solutions often emerge. Some materials may be replaceable. Some suppliers may be diversified. Some processes may be redesigned to rely on more local, easier-to-manage, or more circular supply chains. In that sense, resilience thinking triggers innovation.

We need to move from exposure to agency

Perhaps the most important shift is psychological: resilience helps organisations move from a feeling of vulnerability to a feeling of preparedness. It strengthens the understanding that cities, companies and civil society are not merely passive victims of change. They can shape responses, make choices and build capacity together.

The question is not whether pressure on cities, businesses, and communities will continue. It will. The real question is whether we are willing to build capacities to respond before pressure turns into crisis?

So, whether you are a city, a business, or a civil society representative, there’s a place at the table for you, because resilience is built together!

We will deep-dive into the topic of resilience at the upcoming Circular Week 2026—be there to join the conversation!

For all other questions, reach out to Alexander Mannweiler directly!