Following its Open Innovation Challenge in 2023, the FIRE-RES Innovation Acceleration Hub has brought together over 50 wildfire innovators from around the world, fostering ideas and collaborations that aim to advance both technology and sustainability in the field of wildfire risk mitigation and management.
Two of these innovators—Terrafarmers and Hephaesnus—met during the Portugal Innovation Days, one of the Innovation Hub’s pitching and contacts brokerage conferences, held in Penafiel in October 2024, and discovered a game-changing opportunity to integrate their technologies for more effective wildfire response. Since then, they have formalised a partnership that draws on and extends both companies’ strengths.
1 + 1 = so much more than 2!
Terrafarmers specializes in drone automation, with a primary focus on forest landscape restoration and reforestation. Their drones have been designed to aid in ecological recovery, but thanks to this collaboration, they are now expanding into wildfire response applications.
Hephaesnus, on the other hand, has developed advanced fire-extinguishing projectiles designed to put out fires at an early stage. Recognizing that these projectiles could be effectively deployed via Terrafarmers’ drones, they are now working together to diversify the launching mechanisms for their projectiles, which will allow their use in a variety of different contexts.
The outcome: by seizing the opportunity to merge their expertise, the two companies are both benefiting and they are on the way to creating an integrated wildfire response and recovery.
Why They Joined the FIRE-RES Community
For both companies, participating in the FIRE-RES Open Innovation Challenge was a strategic move. Hephaesnus, an R&D company dedicated to safer and more efficient firefighting, saw FIRE-RES as an ideal platform to advance practical testing, refine fire behaviour theories and enhance the reliability of their technology.
Similarly, Terrafarmers viewed the challenge as an opportunity to align with the FIRE-RES vision of fire-resilient landscapes. Their mission to deploy innovative and ecologically responsible restoration techniques naturally extended into wildfire prevention and first response, making this partnership a perfect fit.
How the Partnership Came About – An Interview with Terrafarmers & Hephaesnus
What excited you about each other’s innovations? Why are they complementary?
Hephaesnus: We were thrilled to see the full compatibility of our solutions. Terrafarmers had been using their drones for reforestation and fire surveillance, while we had developed fire-extinguishing projectiles that could be carried by drones. By combining our technologies, we can actively fight them in their earliest stages.
Terrafarmers: Our drones were initially designed for ecological restoration, but this partnership transforms them into active firefighting tools. With Hephaesnus’ projectiles, we gain a direct firefighting capability, allowing us to intervene early and prevent catastrophic spread. This expands the impact of our technology, creating a holistic approach to wildfire management that includes mitigation, protection, and restoration.
Was this partnership planned, or did it emerge spontaneously?
Hephaesnus: We hadn’t planned for this partnership, but when we met at the FIRE-RES event in Penafiel, the opportunity became immediately clear.
Terrafarmers: We had already identified the potential for firefighting applications, but we were planning to explore it later—after refining our reforestation and mulching solutions. Meeting Hephaesnus accelerated this process and provided us with the perfect partner to bring this idea to life.
