Register now for the FIRE-RES Final Conference “Toward a wildfire-resilient Europe: from knowledge to policy action”
📅 Date: 4-5 November 2025
📍 Location: 4 November: The Hotel, (Bd de Waterloo 38, 1000, Brussels)
📍 Location: 5 November: Auditorium of the Breydel building (Av. d’Auderghem 45, 1040 Brussels)
🤝 Format: 100% in-person
🔍 You can see a preliminary version of the agenda here and access the registration form here
In recent years, Europe has experienced an increasing number of devastating Extreme Wildfire Events, driven by climate change and land abandonment among others. Reactive emergency response approaches are no longer sufficient to manage the scale and complexity of fire risk. There is growing recognition that Europe needs to transition toward resilient landscapes to reduce the risk of extreme wildfires.
Over the past four years, the €21.5 million Green Dean H2020 FIRE-RES project has united research, innovation, and practical action to strengthen Europe’s resilience to extreme wildfires. The project developed a comprehensive ecosystem of solutions, from high-tech innovations to community-based practices and governance strategies, spanning all phases of wildfire management and addressing impacts at all levels: environmental, social, and institutional.
Join us for this landmark event bringing together leading voices in wildfire resilience, from civil protection agencies and scientists to community leaders, policymakers, and innovators. You can find a preliminary version of the agenda here. This conference is an opportunity to contribute to shaping the future of wildfire resilience policy and practice in Europe.
Over two days, the event will present key findings and policy-relevant results from FIRE-RES, facilitate dialogue between experts, EU policymakers, regional actors, and civil society, identify pathways to integrate wildfire resilience into EU policy frameworks, funding instruments, and strategic planning, and support strategic engagement with Members of the European Parliament around legislative and budgetary priorities.
This is more than a conference: it’s a call to action. We are convening a select group of leaders and changemakers to reflect, collaborate, and co-create the path ahead. Your voice matters in translating ambition into action.
📌 Register now and stay tuned for more details to come soon!
speakers
Adrian Tišťan is a Policy Officer at the European Commission’s DG ENV, working in the Land Use and Management Unit. He leads initiatives on forest conservation, wildfire risk reduction, and sustainable land management. Adrian has contributed to EU guidelines on mapping and protecting primary and old-growth forests, and promotes integrated approaches such as prescribed burning for biodiversity and fire prevention. His work supports the EU Forest Strategy 2030 and the Nature Restoration Law, fostering resilience and ecological integrity across European landscapes.
Dr. Andrey Kovatchev is a Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament for the European People’s Party (EPP), representing GERB since 2009. He is Head of the Bulgarian EPP Delegation and a federalist. A biologist by training with a PhD from Saarland University, he has held roles in foreign affairs, security, and EU enlargement. Kovatchev is a strong advocate for European integration, transparency, and the accession of the Western Balkans.
Dr. Anne Ackermann is a Senior Researcher at the European Forest Institute (EFI), working within the Bioeconomy Programme and the Forest Innovation for Impact initiative. She specializes in science communication and innovation support, helping bridge research and practice in forest-related sustainability. Anne leads training and mentoring activities, including the FIRE-RES OIC acceleration programme, where she empowers innovators through storytelling and strategic pitching. Her work fosters impactful knowledge exchange across Europe’s forest and bioeconomy sectors.
Antoni Trasobares is the General Director of the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC) and Coordinator of the FIRE-RES project, Europe’s largest initiative on wildfire resilience. With a PhD in Forest Planning and Economics, he has led CTFC’s transformation into a Mediterranean reference hub for forest research and innovation. Antoni has held leadership roles in the Catalan Government and contributed to the development of the 2030 Circular Bioeconomy Strategy. His work focuses on integrating science, policy, and practice to promote resilient landscapes and sustainable forest management.
Christophe Orazio, French forest engineer is Chief Executive Officer of the European Institute of Planted Forest (IEFC), where he leads international efforts to promote sustainable management and resilience of planted forests. With expertise in forest risk governance, climate change adaptation and bioeconomy, he coordinates IUFRO Task force Stand Complexity in Planted Forests. Christophe plays a key role in bridging science, policy, and practice, fostering innovation and collaboration across Europe’s forestry sector.
Dr. Claudia Berchtold is Coordinator of the Firelogue project and Head of Sustainable Transformation and Risk Reduction at Fraunhofer INT. With a PhD in Public Law and European Studies, she specializes in wildfire risk management, civil protection, and innovation planning. Claudia leads EU-funded initiatives focused on integrated wildfire strategies and resilience, fostering cross-sector dialogue among science, policy, and communities. Her work bridges legal, environmental, and technological domains to support climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction across Europe.
Cristina Brailescu is Team Leader of the Prevention and Preparedness Capacity Building Unit at DG ECHO, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. With over 16 years of experience in the European Commission and more than a decade in the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, she coordinates key programmes including peer reviews and grant schemes for disaster risk management. A geographer by training, Cristina holds postgraduate degrees in Urban and Water Management and has worked across public institutions and NGOs in Romania.
David Martell is Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Forestry and Conservation. With a PhD in Industrial Engineering, he pioneered the application of operations research to forest fire management. Over his 50-year career, he developed influential fire occurrence prediction and suppression models, forest management planning models. He co-founded the Fire Management Systems Laboratory and mentored numerous fire science graduate students. He received the International Association of Wildland Fire’s Ember Award for Excellence in Wildland Fire Science, the Canadian Operational Research Society’s Award of Merit, and the Canadian Institute of Forestry/Institut forestier du Canada (CIF-IFC) Canadian Forestry Scientific Achievement Award.
Dr. Dolors Armenteras is a Senior Researcher at INIA/CSIC and Full Professor of Landscape Ecology at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. With a PhD from King’s College London, she specializes in fire ecology, biodiversity conservation, and land use change. Her work integrates ecological and socio-economic processes, with a focus on tropical ecosystems and megafires. A Fulbright Scholar and Vice President of the International Association of Landscape Ecology, she actively contributes to global science-policy platforms including IPBES and UNCCD.
Edgar Nebot is Sub-Inspector of the Catalan Fire and Rescue Service. With a background in forestry engineering and agricultural sciences, he has been an incident commander since 2007 and a fire analyst since 2005 in the Firefighters Forestry Action Group (GRAF). Nebot has participated as a trainer in various courses and practical sessions in different countries. Within firefighters he is a promoter of the prescribed burning programme in Catalonia. He has also participated in several European projects and international exchanges with other firefighting and forestry units.
Eduard Plana is Head of the Forest Policy and Risk Governance Group at the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC). A forest engineer with a Master’s in Wildfire Risk Management, he specializes in integrated wildfire risk governance, strategic forest planning, and environmental communication. Eduard has coordinated EU Horizon projects and international consultancies, and serves as Lead of the Environment/Ecology Working Group in the Firelogue initiative, promoting dialogue and resilience in wildfire-prone landscapes.
Elena Górriz is a Senior Researcher in Forest Economics and Co-head of Socioeconomics and Governance of Rural Systems at CTFC. With a PhD from the Universities of Lleida and Padua, and degrees in Forestry and Economics, she specializes in forest ecosystem services, bioeconomy, and social innovation. Her work focuses on sustainable economic instruments, rural development, and governance of non-wood forest products. Elena has participated in numerous EU and Mediterranean projects and has widely published in environmental governance and forest economics.
Ferran Bonet is Reinsurance Manager at PIB Group Iberia, where he oversees strategic reinsurance solutions tailored to corporate and insurance sector needs. Founder of BLAT in 1985, an insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and who in 1994 studied and introduced forestry insurance to the Iberian Peninsula. His work supports PIB Group Iberia’s mission to deliver specialized, high-value insurance services across Spain and internationally.
Francisco Rego is Full Professor at the Agronomy Institute, Technical University of Lisbon, and former Coordinator of the Centre for Applied Ecology “Prof. Baeta Neves.” He holds a PhD in Forestry and Wildlife Management from the University of Idaho and has led national and EU wildfire research initiatives. A former Director of Portugal’s National Forest Services, he specializes in fire ecology, forest policy, and biodiversity conservation, and has served in advisory roles for the Portuguese Parliament and the European Forest Institute.
Guillaume Bouffard is Managing Director of Groupama Forêts Assurances (GFA) since June 2023. Headquartered in Bordeaux (France), GFA is part of Groupama Group, a leading insurance group in France with over 6 million clients and 30 000 staff. GFA was established in 1947 and remains today the group dedicated entity that specialises in forest, GFA insures hundreds of thousands of hectares in France.
Gonzalo González Jurado is a Policy Officer at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV), Nature Conservation Unit. With academic backgrounds in Botany and Forest Engineering, he has extensive field and policy experience as a practitioner in protected areas management. At DG ENV, he contributes to the implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Law and the 2030 EU biodiversity strategy, focusing on forest habitat restoration, conservation of bird species, and Natura 2000 site management.
Hélène Koch is Senior Policy Advisor at the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF), where she has worked since 2018. Her expertise spans EU forest-related policies, with a focus on environment, climate change adaptation, research, and rural development. She holds MSc degrees in European Forestry and Forest Sciences from the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Freiburg, as well as a degree in Agronomic Sciences from Belgium.
Inazio Martinez is Team Leader for Innovation Support at the European Forest Institute (EFI), where he coordinates the Bioregions Facility and contributes to EU forest policy and bioeconomy initiatives. With degrees in Ecology, Landscape Management, and Forestry, he has held leadership roles at EFIMED, NEIKER, and USSE. His work focuses on forest governance, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable innovation in Mediterranean and Atlantic forest landscapes, with extensive experience in European research projects and science-policy dialogue.
Jérémie Crespin is a Policy Officer for Forestry at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI). He works on integrating sustainable forest management into EU agricultural and rural development policies, with a focus on biodiversity, climate resilience, and Natura 2000. With a background in environmental policy and land-use planning, he has contributed to cross-DG initiatives linking forestry, conservation, and rural development, and actively supports the alignment of CAP instruments with EU Green Deal objectives.
Dr. Joaquín Ramírez, Founder and CTO of Technosylva, pioneered wildfire science and technology solutions. With 30+ years in fire modelling and operational decision support systems, his team of 250 experts supports global agencies, in Europe, Canada, USA and South América. Co-founded Pau Costa Foundation, professor of Technologies in Wildfires in University of Leon, and was President of the International Wildland Fire Association 2022- 2024.
José Borges: Ph.D. in Forest Sciences (U. Minnesota, USA), associate professor at the School of Agriculture (ISA), ULisboa. Coordinator of IUFRO Unit 4.04.04 Landscape Management Planning for Multiple Ecosystem Services and of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources Management (MEDFOR). Has 25+ years of higher education, research and outreach experience in forest and natural resources management planning methods and decision support systems in ISA and in international universities. Coordinator of the Adaptive Territorial Management work package of the H2020 project FIRE RES and co author of the Integrated Wildfire Risk Management Strategy for the EU: developing resilient landscapes and safer communities. Co-authored over 120 international peer-reviewed publications.
Miguel Ángel Herrera is the Mayor of Genalguacil, Málaga, Spain, renowned for transforming the village into a pioneering hub of rural innovation and contemporary art. Through initiatives like the Genalguacil Pueblo Museo and Encuentros de Arte, he has revitalized the town’s identity and economy. His leadership emphasizes sustainable development, cultural promotion, and combating depopulation, positioning Genalguacil as a European model for creative rural transformation.
Dr. Míriam Piqué is Head of the Multifunctional Forest Management Programme at the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC). With a PhD in Forest Engineering and over 25 years of experience, she specializes in forest dynamics, adaptive silviculture, forest planning and fire ecology and use. She has coordinated numerous national and European research projects and authored over 160 publications. Her work focuses on enhancing ecosystem services and forest resilience in Mediterranean landscapes.
Nicolas Faivre is a Project Officer at the European Research Executive Agency, European Commission, where he supports EU research and innovation agendas on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. He is the Project Officer of FIRE-RES project. With a PhD in environmental sciences and over 15 years of research experience in natural resource and hazard management, Nicolas has worked in fire-prone regions including Australia, California, Canada, and Southern Europe.
Òscar Ordeig is the Regional Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of Catalonia. He holds a PhD in Business Administration and degrees in Economics, Sports Science, and Tax Advisory. A long-time member of the PSC, he has served as a deputy in the Catalan Parliament since 2014 and was a municipal leader in La Seu d’Urgell. His career blends public service, policy leadership, and a commitment to rural development and agricultural resilience.
Phil Saksa is the Chief Scientist and co-founder of Blue Forest, a conservation finance nonprofit pioneering the Forest Resilience Bond. He leads scientific evaluation and impact reporting of ecological restoration projects that enhance forest and watershed health. With a Ph.D. in Environmental Systems from UC Merced, Phil has a background in forestry, water resources, and conservation finance. His work bridges science, policy, and investment to promote community resilience and sustainable land management.
Phillip SeLegue is the Staff Chief of the Intelligence Program at CAL FIRE, where he leads statewide wildfire intelligence operations. With over 26 years of service, he has pioneered the integration of advanced technologies such as AI, remote sensing, and predictive modelling to enhance fire detection and response. He oversees key initiatives including the Wildfire Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Centre and represents CAL FIRE in national and international wildfire resilience efforts, including FIRE-RES as Advisory Board member.
Ruth Ryan is Principal Consultant at Waroo, specializing in forestry, fire, and natural resource management. With over 40 years of experience, she has led fire strategy and operations across Victoria, including as Corporate Fire Manager for HVP Plantations. Ruth has served as Captain of multiple Forest Industry Fire Brigades and contributed to international wildfire resilience efforts. She holds a Bachelor of Forest Science and was awarded the Australian Fire Services Medal and the Forestry Australia Fellowship for her outstanding leadership and service.
Talia Smith is the Chief Programmes Officer for the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance where she leads strategic programme development and implementation to advance nature-first economies. Prior to joining the CBA, Talia spent six years at Systemiq, a global systems change company where she was a Director in the Nature-Food team. She also served as Director of Knowledge Generation for the Food and Land Use (FOLU) Coalition where she was responsible for FOLU’s global thought leadership and global engagements with corporates, financial institutions and policy makers. She has co-authored several analyses on a range of topics, including scaling investments in nature-based solutions and regenerative agriculture. Prior to joining Systemiq in 2018, Talia was an international development consultant, designing infrastructure, land use and natural resource management programmes in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Talia holds a degree in International Development (Political Science and Economics) from McGill University and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Tiago Oliveira is a PhD and Forest Engineer. His understanding of wildland fire problem is grounded in 30 years of experience in national and international context. Both in private and public sector and in all levels of fire operations, researcher and public administration in the topics of wildland fire risk management and governance. Since 2018, he is the Chairman of the Board of the Portuguese Agency for Integrated Rural Fire, chaired the Organizing Committee of the 8th International Wildland Fire Congress and AGIF is a founder member and supporter of Fire Hub. He is also member of Board of Directors of International Association of Wildland Fire.
Tony Johansson is a Fire Protection Engineer and Regional Incident Commander at Södertörn Fire & Rescue Service (SBFF) in Stockholm, Sweden. With extensive experience in wildfire behaviour analysis and incident management, he plays a key role in operational planning and training across the Nordic region. Tony co-leads the Norway–Sweden Living Lab under the FIRE-RES project and contributes to EU-wide wildfire resilience initiatives, including the development of integrated wildfire risk management strategies.
Val Charlton, director of Landworks, is based in South Africa and specialises in developing community-based, ecology-driven solutions to wildfire and landscape degradation. With over two decades of experience in disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and integrated fire management, she has led large-scale projects across the Global South. Val is a strategist and advocate for nature-based solutions, community empowerment, and circular bioeconomy transitions, with deep expertise in participatory planning, policy development, and grassroots implementation.
Zuzana Stanton-Geddes is a Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist at the World Bank, with over 15 years of experience in urban resilience, critical infrastructure, and post-disaster recovery. She has led projects across Europe and East Asia, including in Romania, Ukraine, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Zuzana has contributed to key World Bank reports on wildfire and earthquake risk, disaster economics, and urban resilience. She holds graduate degrees from Johns Hopkins SAIS and Humboldt University, and a bachelor’s from the University of Cambridge.