Last meeting of the Community of Wildfire Innovation in Portugal

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Organized by CoLAB ForestWISE and the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA/ULisboa), with the support of the Municipalities of Lousã and Penafiel (Vale do Sousa), the event brought together researchers, decision-makers, technicians, practitioners, and local communities for a day of sharing, reflection, and future planning.

Courtesy of CoLab ForestWISE

This final meeting celebrated not only the achievements of FIRE-RES but also the vital role of local authorities and communities in shaping an ecosystem where science meets practice: a living environment to listen, test, adapt, and evolve solutions that respond to real territorial challenges.

This meeting marks the culmination of one cycle and the beginning of another. After four intense years of joint work, it’s time to give back to the community what we have built, recognize the role of every partner, and consolidate the foundations for the future of our FIRE-RES network

Brigite Botequim, Senior Researcher & Co-leader of the Portuguese Living Lab, CoLAB ForestWISE

Highlights from the Event

The event brought together the many actors and institutions who have been part of the FIRE-RES journey over the past four years: around 80 participants formed a vibrant mix of municipal actors, fire management professionals, researchers, landowners, and citizens.

Among them were representatives from both Vale do Sousa and Lousã, two communities that actively co-developed, tested, and implemented several Innovation Actions (IAs) and Open Innovation Challenge solutions (OICs) within the Portuguese Living Lab.

Throughout the day, the group reflected on four years of learning and cooperation, revisiting the main Innovation Actions carried out in Portugal, which ranged from controlled burning and team safety to risk communication, policy clinics, educational platforms, and adaptive land management strategies for post-fire recovery and suppression planning.

Some of the Open Innovation Challenge selected solutions took part to the programme: ForestSIM® (2BForest) and ImFire (REN & ADAI), Firefence®, EmberEye®, and educational media produced by AGIF directly address the challenges first identified when the CWI was launched in November 2022.

FIRE-RES has demonstrated that facing wildfire risk requires an integrated approach, science-based and strategically planned, which brings together knowledge, decision-making tools, and the participation of policymakers and communities to balance risk, value, and landscape resilience

José G. Borges, Associate Professor & Co-leader of the Portuguese Living Lab, ISA/ULisboa

Revisiting the “Resilient Landscapes Roadmap 2030”

To close the event, participants revisited the Resilient Landscapes Roadmap, first developed in 2022. Through dynamic group exercises, they explored whether the initial challenges had evolved, how the IAs and OICs had contributed to solving them, and what new issues were emerging across the three phases of the fire cycle: prevention, response, and recovery.

The day concluded with a “Mission FIRE-RES” roundtable, gathering insights, expectations, and reflections on the collective impact of this journey, and how the lessons learned will continue to shape Portugal’s Living Lab and the broader European FIRE-RES network.

Looking Ahead

The 4th CWI Meeting stands as both an ending and a new beginning: a celebration of shared progress and a commitment to continue strengthening the links between territories, science, and communities. By bringing together those who work every day to build resilient landscapes, FIRE-RES leaves a living impact of cooperation, knowledge exchange, and innovation at the service of people and nature.

Author: Beatrice Bellavia (Euromontana)