INESC TEC participated in workshop about rural fires

INESC TEC participated in workshop about rural fires

INESC TEC, as leader of the ForestWISE – Collaborative Laboratory (CoLab) for Integrated Forest and Fire Management, participated in the workshop “Science with impact – Integrated Rural Fire Management”, which took place at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), on February 10.

26th February 2020

This initiative aimed to promote a more effective participation of companies and entities from the forestry sector in the discussion on how science made in Portugal could address a great challenge: the integrated forest and rural fire management.

“Since knowledge production benefits from synergies between multiple scientific fields, while providing solutions to actual problems, there is an urgent need to strengthen the dialogue channels between communities of knowledge producers and consumers – which, according to a demand-driven perspective – enable the identification of R&D&I opportunities that address said problems. This is the primary objective of the meeting, where the knowledge needs for the Implementation of the National Plan for the Integrated Rural Fire Management and the ForestWISE R&D&I Agenda will be presented”, says Carlos Fonseca, CTO of ForestWISE and professor at the University of Aveiro, who took office that day.

The event also featured presentations by José Miguel Cardoso Pereira from the Forest Research Centre (ISA Lisbon), entitled “Rural Fire – a Pervasive Problem that Requires Translational Research and Adaptive Management”, and by Tiago Oliveira, President of the Agency for Integrated Rural Fire Management (AGIF) Steering Board, entitled “Knowledge Needs for the Implementation of the National Plan for the Integrated Rural Fire Management”. Abílio Pacheco, researcher at INESC TEC, was responsible for opening the panel discussion on “Rural Fire: better scientific evidence-based management”, promoted by representatives of companies, such as Navigator and EDP, of owners and investors (Forestis and Floresta Atlântica) and of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests and the National School of Fire.

Helena Pereira (FCT President), Tiago Oliveira (President of the AGIF Steering Board) and Manuel Heitor, Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, were responsible for the opening session. José Manuel Mendonça, President of ForestWISE Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board and CEO of INESC TEC, and António Fontaínhas Fernandes, Dean of UTAD, were in charge of the closing session.

This event also marks the effective launch of ForestWISE, with the hiring of the first senior researchers and project managers.

The session targeted the scientific, business and institutional community, and was organised by ForestWISE, FCT and the AGIF.

Photo Credits: UTAD

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