On 12 March 2026, Jozef Kubinec, from the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic, presented Use Case 3 of the PCP WISE project at a CERIS workshop focused on innovation uptake for wildfire preparedness. The event took place in Brussels and was organised and moderated by Giannis Skiadaresis.

The workshop brought together representatives from EU Member States, researchers, industry experts, and operational practitioners. Discussions centred on how innovative solutions can strengthen wildfire preparedness and response capabilities across Europe.

Addressing the Fire Challenge in Northwest-Central Europe

Use Case 3 of PCP WISE focuses on rural drought conditions in Northwest and Central Europe—an emerging and complex driver of wildfire risk.

Unlike Southern Europe, where water scarcity is a structural and persistent issue, this region experiences highly variable water distribution from year to year. Increasing climate variability is amplifying the frequency and severity of droughts, contributing to:
  • Wildfires in forests, agricultural land, and grasslands
  • Crop yield failures
  • Degradation of ecosystems
These dynamics require tailored, data-driven approaches to improve anticipation and response.

A Collaborative, Cross-Border Approach

To address this challenge, PCP WISE is working with key partners across Europe, including:
  • Grenspark Kalmthoutse Heide (Belgium and the Netherlands)
  • STOWA (The Netherlands)
  • Slovak Environment Agency
  • Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic
Through a Pre-Commercial Procurement framework, the consortium is developing and testing innovative solutions tailored to operational needs.

What PCP WISE Aims to Deliver

The PCP WISE Fire Use Case is designed to provide advanced tools for monitoring, forecasting, and early warning:
  • High-resolution environmental monitoring: Continuous observation of soil moisture, groundwater levels, surface water, and evapotranspiration using satellite data and advanced data analytics at 100–250 metre spatial resolution.
  • Daily wildfire risk indicators: Spatially explicit indicators integrating local, regional, and cross-border datasets, accessible through an intuitive platform aligned with crisis response protocols.
  • Multi-channel early warning systems: Alerts for extreme drought, saturated conditions, heavy rainfall, and no-rain forecasts, disseminated via widely used communication channels such as messaging applications and SMS.
  • Biomass and fuel assessment: Monitoring vegetation biomass in both natural and agricultural areas to better understand and manage fire fuel loads.
The overarching objective is to anticipate and mitigate drought-related risks before they escalate, thereby supporting resilient rural ecosystems and more stable agricultural production systems.

Strengthening Innovation Uptake in Europe

The CERIS workshop also featured keynote contributions from the European Commission and Lori Moore-Merrell, alongside expert panels and an interactive session led by the ACTIVE PCP project, with contributions from Bernhard Jäger, Stephan Corvers, and Jozef Kubinec.

Session recordings are available via the CMINE platform.

Advancing Resilience Through Innovation Procurement

PCP WISE contributes to strengthening Europe’s resilience to wildfires by leveraging demand-driven innovation and the Pre-Commercial Procurement model. By aligning technological development with real operational needs, the project supports more effective preparedness, faster response, and long-term climate adaptation strategies.