The agreement will allow the two institutions to combine their expertise to develop methodologies that facilitate the identification of vulnerable areas and high-risk environments near rail lines
Ineco and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), an agency under the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, have signed a collaboration agreement to improve forest fire prevention and management measures in the vicinity of railway infrastructure.
The agreement will allow the two institutions to combine their expertise to develop methodologies that facilitate the identification of vulnerable areas and high-risk environments near rail lines, helping to strengthen the safety of the General Interest Railway Network (RFIG) against forest fires.
CSIC President Eloísa del Pino emphasized that the collaboration between the two institutions will advance the development of tools based on scientific knowledge and innovative technologies to improve the anticipation of and response to forest fires, thereby contributing to the protection of strategic infrastructure and more effective risk management.
According to Sergio Vázquez Torrón, president of Ineco: “This agreement strengthens the collaboration between the two institutions in a field in which the CSIC possesses extensive scientific knowledge. Changing climate conditions are increasing the risk and severity of wildfires. For this reason, at Ineco we are committed to developing methodologies and systems that will allow us to better assess these risks and respond more effectively, making this area one of our strategic lines of innovation.”
Initiatives to Help Manage Fire Risk
The CSIC will contribute its multidisciplinary expertise in fire science, forest fire risk assessment and management, and the development of sensor technologies and IoT sensor networks for environmental monitoring. Specifically, three CSIC institutes with complementary capabilities will participate in these initiatives: the Institute of Forest Sciences (ICIFOR-INIA), the Barcelona Institute of Microelectronics (IMB-CNM), and the “Leonardo Torres Quevedo” Institute of Physical and Information Technologies (ITEFI).
For its part, Ineco will contribute its expertise in analyzing risk environments affecting railway infrastructure and the causes associated with fires on the General Interest Railway Network.
Among the planned activities is the definition of simple and reliable indicators to assess fire risk in vulnerable areas by integrating data from sensor systems and correlating it with other sources of information. Furthermore, the project includes the identification and categorization of high-risk environments near railway infrastructure, as well as the development of sensor systems and data analysis tools to facilitate continuous monitoring and the assessment of fire risk.
