INESC TEC promotes Collaborative Laboratory for Integrated Forest and Fire Wise Management

INESC TEC promotes Collaborative Laboratory for Integrated Forest and Fire Wise Management

The CoLAB - Collaborative Laboratory for Integrated Forest & Fire Wise Management – ForestWISE, whose application was led by INESC TEC, in the context of the work developed by INESC TEC’s Centre for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship (CITE), was approved on January 30 by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).

01st March 2018

This CoLAB, that is expected to start functions until April, derives from the problems that Portugal has been facing in the development and management of rural areas, aggravated by climate changes that lead to severe consequences in terms of rural fires, such as the tragic cases of June 17 and October 15 of 2017.

In this regard, ForestWISE will work around relevant topics for the integrated management of forest and fire, as well as aspects related to the responsible management of forest resources, the reduction of risks and impacts of different threats, and new concepts of business and services for the forest sector. Through the theme of the governance of natural resources, the CoLAB’s research agenda will contemplate the forest sector, essencial technologies and the coherent use of fire.

Besides INESC TEC, ForestWISE’s Establishment Team is supported by Altri, Corticeira Amorim, EDP Distribuição, School of Agriculture (ISA), National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics (IPMA), Portuguese Electricity Grid (REN), Sonae Arauco, The Navigator Company and National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinarian Research (INIAV). Further partnership extensions to other relevant entities are currently underway.

José Manuel Mendonça and João Claro, respectively President and member of the board of directors at INESC TEC, and Abílio Pereira Pacheco and Alexandra Marques, collaborators at CITE and CESE (Centre for Enterprise Systems Engineering), respectively, were involved in the application.

What does CoLAB mean?

In order to stimulate qualified employment that adds economic and social value in Portugal, the Government decided to promote “labs” to investigate and innovate. This project known as Collaborative Laboratory (CoLAB) brings enterprises, universities and scientific centers together.

Some fields like Mountain, Ocean, Vineyard, Wine, Forest and Fire, and Digital have collaborative structures available, in order to develop activities based on scientific knowledge that promote technological change. 

Colab intend to meet the challenge of national territory densification regarding knowledge-based activities through a growing consolidation of forms of collaboration between science and technology institutions and higher education, and economic and social fabric, mainly enterprises, hospital and healthcare system and cultural institutions and social organisations.

By receiving a qualification from Colab, all these institutions can apply for a specific funding. CoLab relies on the cooperation of universities, I& D institutes, public administration and industry. These institutes should stimulate, directly or indirectly, qualified and scientific employment in Portugal by implementing research and innovation agenda. 

Regarding the National Reform Programme of “Commitment to Science and Knowledge” Agenda, FCT alongside Portuguese National Innovation Agency (ANI) is responsible for the creation and operationalization of Collaborative Laboratories.

The researchers mentioned in this news piece are associated with INESC TEC and UP-FEUP.