Apply for FIRE-RES Open Innovation Challenge

The FIRE-RES Open Innovation Challenge aims to enhance the ability of the FIRE-RES project to provide newer and better solutions in response to the stakeholders’ challenges.

In recent years, Europe has experienced a significant increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires. These extreme wildfires have resulted in devastating consequences, including loss of life, destruction of natural habitats, damage to infrastructure, and the release of harmful emissions impacting air quality.

They are calling upon innovators, entrepreneurs, technologists, researchers, businesses of all sizes, experts, and all forward-thinking minds in the field to step up and submit cutting-edge solutions addressing the challenges experienced by different stakeholders coping with the risks of extreme wildfires.

The specific challenges they have identified are organised under the following themes:

• Risk Communication and Awareness
• Engagement and Empowerment
• Training and Education
• Management Before, During and After Extreme Wildfire Events
• Monitoring
• Forecasting and Decision Support
• Policy and Governance

What types of solutions are they looking for?

• They are looking for innovative solutions in all development stages – from early ideas, methods, prototypes to close-to-market or market-ready services and products (from here on summarised as “solutions”) that can help solve their FIRE-RES Open Innovation Challenges. The solutions may address any stage of wildfire management: prevention and preparedness, detection and response, restoration and adaptation. They welcome all kinds of solutions, for instance technological, social, or business model related; products, services, platforms, processes, procedures, best practice, etc.
• Successful applicants with early-stage solutions, such as ideas, will be supported to develop their solutions, while those with later-stage solutions, such as prototypes, close-to-market, or market-ready solutions will be supported to demonstrate, pilot and upscale their solutions.
• They are not looking for proposals for research papers or research projects as they aim to support targeted activities to develop, demonstrate, pilot and upscale concrete solutions.

Who are the challenge owners?

• FIRE-RES tests, deploys, and implements innovations in 11 Living Labs. These are geographical areas, such as sub-national regions and countries (mostly in Europe), in which FIRE-RES collaborates with wildfire stakeholders to demonstrate and deploy innovations to overcome wildfire problems. The local and regional stakeholders that they collaborate with include the public sector, civil protection, landowners, scientific communities, private companies, and citizen associations.
• FIRE-RES organised workshops in the Living Labs to understand which are the major challenges of the local stakeholders. Through this bottom-up approach, 17 challenges in 7 challenge themes were defined. Each challenge includes a section “Voice of the Living Lab(s)” to represent the specific context, conditions, and needs of the Living Labs with regards to the challenges.

Why participate?

The FIRE-RES Open Innovation Challenge offers an unprecedented opportunity to make a lasting impact on wildfire prevention and, preparedness, detection and response, restoration and adaptation. By participating in the FIRE-RES Open Innovation Challenge, you will have the opportunity to:

• Make a Difference: Submit solutions that save lives, protect communities, and safeguard the environment.
• Access Tailored Support: Selected solutions are eligible for economic and in-kind support and mentorship to develop and upscale the solutions.
• Pitch and upscale: Get access to contacts and guidance from key actors and experts across Europe and South America. Present your solution to a wider audience through FIRE-RES events and publications.
• Get Feasibility Insights: Understand the fitness, market readiness, and feasibility of your solution by demonstrating and testing in real life conditions.
• Expand Professional Network: Meet like-minded professionals, researchers, and organisations working together to combat wildfire challenges.
• Be Recognised: Gain visibility and prestige as FIRE-RES Open Innovation Challenge winner.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants
  • Participation is possible for individuals, teams, and legal entities.
• Languages
  • English is the official language for this Open Innovation Challenge. Submissions done in any other language will be disregarded and not evaluated.
• Declarations
  • The applicant is over 18 years old and empowered to represent and commit to the team or the legal entity according to the relevant law.
  • The applicant has no convictions for fraudulent behaviour, other financial irregularities, unethical or illegal business practices;
  • The applicant has a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion;
  • The applicant is not under liquidation or an enterprise under difficulty according to the Commission Regulation No 651/2014, art. 2.18.;
  • The applicant has not been declared bankrupt or has initiated bankruptcy procedures;
  • The applicant is not excluded from the possibility of obtaining EU funding under the provisions of both national and EU law or by a decision of both national or EU authorities;
  • The solution proposed by the applicant is based on the original works, and going forward, any foreseen developments are free from third-party rights, or they are clearly stated.

For more information, visit FIRE-RES.