The ForestSphere project has been awarded the 2026 J. Norberto Pires Innovation Award by the University of Coimbra, in recognition of its innovative approach to forest monitoring and wildfire risk management. Selected from more than 40 competing projects, ForestSphere received the award at the F!Next 2026 – INOVAÇÃO@UC event, held in Figueira da Foz, Portugal. Sponsored by Banco Santander, the award includes a €6,000 prize and recognizes innovative initiatives with strong potential to address societal challenges.
ISR is proud to be part of the ForestSphere consortium, contributing to the development of a digital twin of Portugal’s forest territories. The platform integrates continuously updated data from ground, aerial and space-based sensors with advanced models for predicting fire behavior, smoke dispersion and wind fields, alongside artificial intelligence tools. By bringing these capabilities together in a cloud-based environment, ForestSphere aims to strengthen decision-making in forest monitoring, wildfire prevention and emergency response.
This award recognises the collaborative effort and scientific and technological innovation of the entire ForestSphere consortium. It highlights the project’s potential to address the growing challenge of rural fires and to support more effective, data-driven forest management and protection.
