Spade Open Call #2 applicants is Open Now

SPADE’S SECOND OPEN CALL FOR APPLICANTS IS OPEN NOW

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SPADE Open Call #2: Funding Opportunity for Innovators in Agriculture, Forestry, and Livestock

SPADE is excited to announce Open Call #2, inviting talented innovators to contribute cutting-edge solutions in drone technology, AI, and precision agriculture. With a total budget of €525,000, this initiative aims to support nine groundbreaking projects focused on advancing agriculture, forestry, and livestock management through UAV technology. Eight selected projects will receive €60,000 each, while one project will be awarded €45,000, with a project duration of six months.

Call for Applicants – OPEN NOW

Are you developing innovative UAV solutions for agriculture, forestry, or livestock? Open Call #2 offers funding opportunities for projects addressing key industry challenges. With a total budget of €525,000, selected projects will receive financial support and six months to develop cutting-edge solutions. Eligible participants include universities, research centers, SMEs, and NGOs across the EU and Horizon Europe-associated countries.

Research Areas & Challenges

  • Open-Field Case Study (Spain)
  • Forestry Case Study (Norway)
  • Livestock Case Study (Greece)
  • Universal Consideration Across Case Studies

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be legally established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Eligible entities include universities, research centers, NGOs, foundations, SMEs, and startups. Each proposal must be submitted by a single entity (no consortiums allowed), and organizations may submit a maximum of two proposals (one per challenge). Proposals that have already received funding from other sources are ineligible to prevent duplicate funding.

Why Join SPADE?

  • Secure Funding: Up to €60,000 to develop and test your solution
  • Tackle Real-World Challenges: Apply your expertise to agriculture, forestry, and livestock sectors
  • Gain Visibility: Present your innovations to industry leaders and stakeholders
  • Drive Sustainability: Contribute to the future of precision farming and environmental monitoring

Key Dates & Selection Process

  • Applicant Registration: 24 March – 26 May 2025, 17:00 Brussels Time
  • Evaluation: June – July 2025
  • Legal Validation & Agreement Signing: July 2025
  • Project Implementation: August 2025 – January 2026

Interested applicants must register and complete the registration form, and submit their proposals using the provided templates.
Full guidelines and FAQs are available to support applicants throughout the process.

Learn more about SPADE OPEN CALLS #2 for Applicants

Learn More
2nd open call Info Day schedule

SPADE Open Call #2 – Info Days

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SPADE Project invites SPADE Open Call #2 Applicants and Evaluators to join SPADE Info Days

We are excited to invite you to the SPADE Info Days, a series of engaging sessions where you will discover the latest updates, insights, and opportunities in open-source innovation and cutting-edge case studies. Mark your calendars and join us for these informative events!

  • Info Day 1: General Overview

    📅 Date: 26th March 2025

    ⏰ Time: 10:00 CET

    Topics:

    • General Presentation
    • Open Source Criteria
    • Open Call #2 Presentation
    Watch our recording on YouTube

  • Info Day 2: Challenges Presentations on Universal Consideration Across Case Study and Forestry Case Study

    📅 Date: 10th April 2025

    ⏰ Time: 09:00 CEST

    Topics:

    • UCU-CH1: Swarm Communication and Navigation
    • UCU-CH2: Open-Source Tilted Rotor Drone System
    • CS2-CH1: Below-Canopy Forest Data Collection and Annotation
    • CS2-CH2: Ultralight Self-levelling Landing Gear for Quadrotor Drones
    Watch our recording on YouTube

  • Indo Day 3: Challenges Presentations on Livestock Case Study

    📅 Date: 10th April 2025

    ⏰ Time: 10:00 CEST

    Topics:

    • CS3-CH1: Virtual Fencing Application for Livestock Grazing Management
    Watch our recording on YouTube

  • Indo Day 4: Challenges Presentations on Universal Consideration Across Case Study, Open-field Case Study and Livestock Case Study

    📅 Date: 11th April 2025

    ⏰ Time: 11:00 CEST

    Topics:

    • UCU-CH3: Aerial Image Processing Service
    • CS1-CH1: ML for based Disease Detection in Mediterranean Crops
    • CS1-CH2: Open Field Data Collection and Annotation
    • CS3-CH2: Acquiring and Structuring Livestock Open-field Animal Wellbeing/Healthcare Datasets for Training ML Models
    Watch our recording on YouTube

Spade Open Call #2 Evaluators is Open Now

SPADE’S SECOND OPEN CALL FOR EVALUATORS IS OPEN NOW!

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SPADE is advancing drone technology for agriculture, forestry, and livestock management through Open Call #2. We invite innovators to develop groundbreaking solutions and evaluators to assess proposals that will drive sustainable advancements in these fields.

Call for Evaluators – OPEN NOW

Are you an expert in drone technology, AI, precision agriculture, or forestry and livestock monitoring? SPADE is seeking independent evaluators to assess Open Call #2 proposals. Evaluators will play a key role in ensuring a fair and high-quality selection process by reviewing applications based on technical and scientific criteria.

Why Join SPADE?

  • Gain recognition as a contributor to a major EU innovation project
  • Network with top industry experts, researchers, and policymakers
  • Enhance your professional portfolio with high-impact experience
  • Receive financial compensation for your expertise

Eligibility Criteria

  • Extensive experience in evaluating technological projects

  • Strong technical, scientific, or commercial knowledge of drone applications

  • Neutrality: No affiliations with SPADE Open Call #2 applicants or consortium members

Key Dates:

  • Evaluator Registration: 10 March – 7 April 2025, 17:00 Brussels Time
  • Proposal Evaluation: 08 April – 15 April 2025
  • Onboarding Webinar: 19 May 2025
  • Final Evaluations: 10 June – 30 June 2025

Join SPADE and be part of a transformative initiative in smart agriculture, forestry, and livestock management.
Learn more about SPADE OPEN CALL for Evaluators (EV)

Learn More
SPADE Consortium Meeting 18-19 December 2024

SPADE Project Enters Third Year: Strengthening Innovation and Collaboration

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The SPADE Physical Consortium Meeting, held in Berlin on December 18-19, 2024, marked a significant milestone in the project’s third year. Partners reviewed progresses achieved in the first 2 years, shared insights, and set the direction for leveraging UAV technology in sustainable agriculture, forestry, and livestock management.

Key updates included advancements in the SPADE open-source platform and Digital Twins, with discussions focusing on implementation and standardisation. Technical working groups tackled critical topics such as open-source platform connections, forestry applications, planting drones, and acoustic sensor edge computing, showcasing collaborative progress across teams.

The meeting also highlighted the success of the first Open Call, addressed open-source requirements, and laid the groundwork for the second Open Call with key review topics and decisions finalised.

Outreach and dissemination plans gained momentum with strategies for expert videos, the upcoming SPADE events organised internally and this meeting also discovered administrative updates and project management further strengthened the foundation for the next second phase of the project.

With clear objectives and renewed collaboration, SPADE is well-positioned to deliver transformative UAV solutions for sustainable agriculture and environmental sustainability in Europe.

Stay connected for the latest developments!

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People gathered in a big room sharing a table are participants of a spade project.
Some people gathered in a big room separed in few groups and are talking with each other.
Poster Drones for Rural Development II. September 2024, 02:00 pm (CEST). 6 speakers

SPADE, CHAMELEON and ICAERUS at MDPI’s “Drones for Rural Development II” Webinar

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On September 19th, the SPADE EU project, Chameleon HorizonEU, and ICAERUS EU successfully shared insights during a webinar co-organized with MDPI. The event highlighted the pivotal role of drones in rural development, addressing key areas like precision agriculture, land management, and environmental protection.

On behalf of SPADE, Dr. Costas Davarakis presented on Monitoring Open Field Grazing, emphasizing the use of Multi-purpose UAVs, Direct Sensing Telemetry, and Edge Computing for Cloud-Based Digital Twinning.

This webinar presented the three referent European projects, associated with the development of rural areas, and used drones as the main thread. The scope of drone utilization in rural regions is extensive, spanning sectors such as agriculture, forestry, livestock, other industrial domains, environmental monitoring, and the assessment of water quality in rivers and lakes. Drones also play a vital role in firefighting efforts and provide assistance to the population, particularly elderly individuals.

The event brought together researchers, policymakers, drone enthusiasts, and industry experts to discuss real-world use cases, share project developments, and explore future opportunities for drone technology in rural and environmental applications.

Last year, the projects already shared their work at the previous “Drones for Rural Development” Webinar available here: https://lnkd.in/gWc-RgMn.

Know more about the agenda of this year’s event on the MDPI page: https://lnkd.in/dGSYz27B.

SPADE is a project funded by the European Union within the Horizon Europe program, with 21 partners from 10 European countries. For more information, kindly visit https://spade-horizon.eu/;

ICAERUS is an EU-funded project that aspires to advance the use of drones in agricultural production, forestry and rural communities. For more information, kindly visit https://icaerus.eu/;

CHAMELEON is a Horizon Europe Project that aims to optimize production and identify potential problems in agriculture, livestock, forestry and rural areas. For more information, kindly visit https://chameleon-heu.eu;

MDPI is a pioneer of academic open access publishing, which have been serving the scientific community since 1996. They focus on promoting collaboration, transparency, and innovation across various scientific fields, aiming to advance science by making high-quality research freely accessible to the public.

Image of the Webinar Drones for Rural Develpoment II
SPADE at Thessaloniki International Fair Thumbnail

SPADE at the Thessaloniki International Fair

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From September 7th to 15th, the SPADE team participated in the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) held in Greece. This event provided an excellent platform for SPADE to present its mission, latest achievements, and ongoing projects to a diverse audience, highlighting its contributions to key sectors and the technological landscape.

This year’s Thessaloniki International Fair focused on addressing modern challenges facing Greece’s economy, with particular emphasis on technological advancements, innovation, and sustainability. The event’s thematic areas included academia, technology research, energy, circular economy, and more, attracting participation from various industries and international stakeholders.

During the fair, SPADE presented its vision for sustainable technological development and showcased key results that align with the broader themes of the event, such as innovation and research. The fair’s focus on new tools and sustainable solutions across critical sectors resonated with SPADE’s goals, creating an ideal setting for networking and collaboration.

The Thessaloniki International Fair continues to be a central hub for the convergence of academia, industry, and policy discussions on cutting-edge technologies and their role in addressing national and global challenges.

For more information on the event, participants, and agenda, visit the official website: https://t.ly/CMGi-

Pictures of SPADE at Thessaloniki International Fair
SPADE EU Project News 1st Joint Newsletter with ICAERUS & CHAMELEON

The SPADE Participation in Joint Newsletter with ICAERUS and CHAMELEON

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SPADE project is pleased to announce its participation in a collaborative newsletter initiative with sister projects ICAERUS and CHAMELEON. The joint newsletter will serve as a platform to introduce the three projects, fostering knowledge exchange and strengthening ties within the scientific community.

SPADE, ICAERUS, and CHAMELEON, while distinct in their specific areas of focus, share a common goal of integrating drones as a multi-purpose solution for agricultural, forestry and livestock use cases. This joint newsletter initiative presents a valuable opportunity to leverage the collective expertise and progress achieved by each project, ultimately accelerating progress in the specific fields.

The special issue of the newsletter is out!
Enjoy Reading Here

Poster TRA 2024 - transport research Arena Dublin 2024 - 15 to 18 April

SPADE participated at Transport Research Arena (TRA) 2024 Conference

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In a Transport Research Arena (TRA) 2024 event held at the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin, SPADE, on behalf of Anssi Rauhala from University of Oulu, presented an oral communication  titled “The Governance and Regulations of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the European Union – A Comparative Framework,” captivating audiences with early insights from the SPADE project.

The SPADE project’s participation at TRA 2024 underscored its dedication to cutting-edge research and highlighted the vital importance of navigating the evolving realm of unmanned aerial technology within the EU’s regulatory framework. With an estimated participation of approximately 4000 attendees, TRA 2024 served as a beacon for fostering innovation and collaboration in the transportation sector, offering a platform for researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to exchange ideas and insights. As the largest European research and technology conference on transport and mobility, TRA 2024 provided an unparalleled opportunity for the SPADE project to contribute to advancements in UAV governance and shape the future of transportation in Europe and beyond.

 

Open Call #1 Webinar Series.

SPADE Open Call #1 – Technical Webinars

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SPADE EU Project Open call webinar series has concluded successfully! 

After insightful discussions and engaging sessions, we have wrapped up the webinar series of our first Open Call towards drone technology for revolutionising agriculture, livestock, and forestry. From exploring innovative solutions to addressing the different challenges and use cases of the Open Call, we have paved the way for exploring innovative solutions and groundbreaking technologies in these fields. 

A huge THANK YOU to all our partners, participants, and applicants for making this milestone possible!

Please keep updated for any additional updates and opportunities regarding our open call. If you were unable to participate in the webinars you may access them:

  1.   22 February 2024, ”Open Call #1 Overview”: https://youtu.be/hw8m7_j6QKU
  2.  29 February 2024, ”Technical Webinar – Forestry Case Study”: https://youtu.be/kvOjrcl7KCM
  3.  05 March 2024, ” Technical Webinar – Universal Consideration Across Use Cases”: https://youtu.be/BSp1I2Zg0Qk
  4.  07 March 2024, ”Technical Webinar – Open-field Case Study Integration”: https://youtu.be/aWOfjAY3Afw
  5.  12 March 2024, ”Technical Webinar – Livestock Case Study Integration”: https://youtu.be/rqR5bARsXjA