Title: Critical infrastructures: a review from a complex adaptive systems perspective

Authors: Telli E. Van Der Lei, Geertje Bekebrede, Igor Nikolic

Addresses: Policy Analysis Section, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628BX Delft, The Netherlands. ' Policy, Organisation, Law and Gaming Section, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628BX Delft, The Netherlands. ' Energy and Industry Section, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628BX Delft, The Netherlands

Abstract: Critical infrastructures are complex systems that may be studied in large interdisciplinary teams. Interaction between researchers in these interdisciplinary teams can suffer from the lack of a shared view on the object of study or the meaning of words. To facilitate the understanding of complex infrastructure systems, we reviewed literature on complex systems from different fields. We created a three-layered framework that clarifies the relationships between the properties and the different levels of complex systems. We illustrated our framework with an example of a transportation system that shows how this complex system may be understood in terms of the framework.

Keywords: complex systems; interdisciplinary research; critical infrastructures; complex infrastructure systems; complex adaptive systems.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCIS.2010.037454

International Journal of Critical Infrastructures, 2010 Vol.6 No.4, pp.380 - 401

Published online: 13 Dec 2010 *

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