SPADE Consortium Meeting 18-19 December 2024

SPADE Project Enters Third Year: Strengthening Innovation and Collaboration

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!

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

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

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.

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

SPADE at the Thessaloniki International Fair

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-

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

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

MWC 2024 (2)

SPADE participated at Transport Research Arena (TRA) 2024 Conference

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.

 

Webinar Series (1)

SPADE Open Call #1 – Technical Webinars

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
MWC 2024

SPADE at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024

SPADE at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024

MWC is the largest event for the connectivity ecosystem. 2024 edition brought together global mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors, content owners and enthusiasts in the future of technology.

SPADE, represented by María Elena Martínez Hernández and Alberto Sierra Bañon from SPLORO introduced our project during the event. Our presence at MWC Barcelona 2024 provided us with a valuable opportunity to showcase the SPADE project to a diverse and extensive audience. By actively promoting SPADE’s Open Call #1 during the event, we laid the groundwork to attract potential applicants.