According to the World Meteorological Organization, the frequency of severe weather incidents has quintupled over the last five decades, causing more than 100 000 fatalities and 1.5 trillion euros of economic losses in Europe (EU). Consequently, disaster management capabilities need to be enhanced in this fast-evolving context. Robotics can play a crucial role to improve first responders’ safety and effectiveness in their operations. HURRICANE is a 15 partners multidisciplinary consortium aiming to overcome limitations that are still holding back these cutting-edge innovations from becoming a disaster management standard. HURRICANE will unlock the potential of UGV operation in hazardous environment, relying on enhanced vision capabilities and smart integration over a holistic, resilient and real-time situational awareness infrastructure that includes innovative UAV-UGV cooperation pathways (laser-based charging, UAV supporting UGV regarding route planning) and multi-technology communication infrastructure (5G, RF, optical wireless). Data-driven optimization models will provide recommendations through a user-friendly API to support FR’s tactics. Three complementary pilots will be implemented to demonstrate the benefits brought by HURRICANE solutions, in several challenging environments: peri-urban areas (Corsica), mountains (Alps) and wildfires (Andalusia). Last, but not least, EU-wide advanced training modules will be implemented to raise awareness among FR about these innovative technologies, integrating new operational procedures. At the end of the project, HURRICANE will show improved hazard management efficiency (60% operation time reduction, 95% false positive readout reduction), with reduced FR exposure to harmful situations, strengthened EU robotics industry leadership (5M€ of revenues and 50 jobs). In 2028, training will be provided for 100 FRs across 15 EU countries, aiming to achieve a total of 10,000 trained FRs by the year 2035.

EMPOWERING proposal contributes to the shift of 6 EU regions toward low-carbon society by enhancing the capacities of municipalities and regional representatives to shape integrated energy strategies and plans. The project contributes to bridge the gap of skills needed to plan energy measures in the new 2030 framework for Climate and Energy Policy in terms of GHG emission reduction, renewable energy and energy efficiency. EMPOWERING addresses energy saving challenges involving local municipalities and regional authorities in a sound transnational exchange and learning activities (WP3) including: a) transnational seminars; b) peer to peer exchange for regional authorities; c) study visit to one EU best practice and two partners’ best practice. Local target audience is then effectively reached thanks to ad hoc capacity local building measures (WP4) addressing different target groups to maximize the learning experience. The improved knowledge and competences of local authorities are put into practice during the development of the mitigation part of SECAPs and in the upgrading of the existing SEAPs, while regional authorities are supported in shaping regional energy vision to 2050 highlighting the main energy challenges and identifying possible financial strategic actions to be implemented (WP5). The proposal is built on a solid and innovative strategic planning methodology which has a high replicability potential, strengthening the European added value of the project. This process is triggered by the cooperation of a comprehensive partnership, which involves technical-scientific partners and regional development agencies, creating the conditions to achieve project’s objectives.

GOBEYOND is an innovation action that will develop and test Multi-Risk Impact-based Early Warning System (MR-IEWS) platforms for geohazards and weather/climate events adapted to support Civil Protection Authorities and first responders in their situational awareness and rapid deployment in Europe, countries of the Union for Mediterranean (UfM), and beyond. For this end, GOBEYOND will capitalise on the legacy of EWS for high-impact geo and weather/climate events, and on the impact-forecasting algorithms from previous projects of the consortium. GOBEYOND will identify most innovative algorithms for geohazards and incorporate them with available weather/climate impact-based algorithms into a common IEWS. These algorithms will be integrated with high-resolution vulnerability, exposure and risk information at regional and local levels to describe the severity of the hazards in terms of the expected socio-economic impacts to evolve towards a real-time DSSs. MR-IEWS will be co-designed in a participatory framework in which authorities, citizens, and civil society representatives can feel listened to, and actively engaged in co-design and co-creation roles. GOBEYOND will test the MR-IEWS platforms developed for international (Europe and UfM countries), regional and municipal environments. This will be done through the 5 regional demonstrations in Andalusia (ES), Attica (EL), Campania (IT), a Canton in Switzerland and the Al Hoceima province (Morocco). A sixth demonstration in 4 EU municipalities will test advanced capabilities as communication services based on the latest developments on Site Specific Warnings, crowdsourcing techniques, artificial intelligence, SMS Cell Broadcast, and capacities to trigger actions from regional emergency and self-protection plans. The platforms will run in 6 real-time 24/7 operational demonstrations during 24 Months of the project to test them in real-time under conditions of operational use, achieving TRL 7 and 8.

The ultimate purpose of ANYWHERE is to empower exposed responder institutions and citizens to enhance their anticipation and pro-active capacity of response to face extreme and high-impact weather and climate events. This will be achieved through the operational implementation of cutting-edge innovative technology as the best way to enhance citizen's protection and saving lives. ANYWHERE proposes to implement a Pan-European multi-hazard platform providing a better identification of the expected weather-induced impacts and their location in time and space before they occur. This platform will support a faster analysis and anticipation of risks prior the event occurrence, an improved coordination of emergency reactions in the field and help to raise the self-preparedness of the population at risk. This significant step-ahead in the improvement of the pro-active capacity to provide adequate emergency responses is achievable capitalizing on the advanced forecasting methodologies and impact models made available by previous RTD projects, maximizing the uptake of their innovative potential not fully exploited up to now. The consortium is build upon a strong group of Coordinators of previous key EC projects in the related fields, together with 12 operational authorities and first responders institutions and 6 leading enterprises of the sector. The platform will be adapted to provide early warning products and locally customizable decision support services proactively targeted to the needs and requirements of the regional and local authorities, as well as public and private operators of critical infrastructures and networks. It will be implemented and demonstrated in 4 selected pilot sites to validate the prototype that will be transferred to the real operation. The market uptake will be ensured by the cooperation with a SME and Industry Collaborative Network, covering a wide range of sectors and stakeholders in Europe, and ultimately worldwide.

Terrestrial and marine ecosystems provide essential services to human societies. Anthropogenic pressures, however, cause serious threat to ecosystems, leading to habitat degradation, increased risk of collapse and loss of ecosystem services. Knowledge-based conservation, management and restoration policies are needed to improve ecosystem benefits in face of increasing pressures. ECOPOTENTIAL makes significant progress beyond the state-of-the-art and creates a unified framework for ecosystem studies and management of protected areas (PA). ECOPOTENTIAL focuses on internationally recognized PAs in Europe and beyond in a wide range of biogeographic regions, and it includes UNESCO, Natura2000 and LTER sites and Large Marine Ecosystems. Best use of Earth Observation (EO) and monitoring data is enabled by new EO open-access ecosystem data services (ECOPERNICUS). Modelling approaches including information from EO data are devised, ecosystem services in current and future conditions are assessed and the requirements of future protected areas are defined. Conceptual approaches based on Essential Variables, Macrosystem Ecology and cross-scale interactions allow for a deeper understanding of the Earth's Critical Zone. Open and interoperable access to data and knowledge is assured by a GEO Ecosystem Virtual Laboratory Platform, fully integrated in GEOSS. Support to transparent and knowledge-based conservation and management policies, able to include information from EO data, is developed. Knowledge gained in the PAs is upscaled to pan-European conditions and used for planning and management of future PAs. A permanent stakeholder consultancy group (GEO Ecosystem Community of Practice) will be created. Capacity building is pursued at all levels. SMEs are involved to create expertise leading to new job opportunities, ensuring long-term continuation of services. In summary, ECOPOTENTIAL uses the most advanced technologies to improve future ecosystem benefits for humankind.