On 24 and 25 April, part of the FIRE-RES team from CoLAB ForestWISE was in Kazanlak (Bulgaria) to take part in the 2nd Innovation Day Series – ‘Days of Innovations for the Protection of Nature against Fires’, organised by Sofia Forest University, the Municipality of Kazanlak and the international FIRE-RES project.
Like the event held in Penafiel by our CoLAB (in October 2024), this meeting promoted strong interaction between ICO (Open Innovation Challenge) innovators, leaders of the Living Labs Portugal, Bulgaria and Catalonia and project partners (CEABN – ISA, CTFC, EFI, Sofia University and ForestWISE).
The event kicked off at the emblematic Rose Museum, also celebrating the centenary of the founding of the first Forestry Department in Bulgaria. The opening ceremony was attended by government representatives (the Minister of the Interior and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food), academics (such as the Rector of Sofia Forest University), local authorities, such as the Director of the General Directorate for ‘Fire Safety and Population Protection’, as well as Antoni Trasobares (Director of the CTFC and coordinator of the FIRE-RES project), the Mayor of Kazanlak, and directors of regional and local forestry services.
The highlights of the programme are as follows:
- Practical demonstrations of innovative technologies and solutions for forest fire prevention and control, including afforestation techniques, forest resource management and new monitoring technologies – demonstration of EmberEye and Mejor Technologies’ “CHRIS” solution, the latter supported by CoLAB ForestWISE;
- Presentations of innovative ICO solutions, namely from Trigan and Mejor Technologies, which have signed contracts with CoLAB ForestWISE for demonstration tests in the Living Labs of Norway/Sweden and Bulgaria, respectively;
- Educational activities, the presentation of the FireExplorer platform – on which our CoLAB has collaborated, through researcher Conceição Colaço (CEABN, ISA) – and the award ceremony for the ‘Young Guardians of the Future’ competition, where students expressed their connection to nature and the importance of environmental conservation through art;
- Debates on innovation in fire management and ecosystem protection.
The next Innovation Day Series is scheduled for July in Barcelona.
More information and media coverage here and on the Sofia Forestry University and Kazanlak Municipality channels.
