Launched by the Agency for the Innovation (ADI), the call for tenders aiming to supply to Portugal aeroplanes without passengers in order to fight against forest fires has finished in the beginning of February. The ADI is currently examining all presented projects during the call for tenders, resulting from a protocol between three Portuguese ministries (Economy and Innovation, Internal Administration and Science and Technology). On all, thirteen consortiums answered this call, gathering 29 companies, 12 Universities and Polytechnic schools, 2 associated laboratories, 2 State laboratories and 2 technological centres. Being presented has drones; the same used by the army, these aeroplanes will detect the growing fires, confirm the existing fires and monitor their evolution. They will be equipped with video cameras and devices with infrared radiance. Besides the forest fires, these plans could also be used for other actions in the forest management sector. The selection of the projects by the ADI will be done on the criteria of innovation, the contribution to the national technological development, its competitive impact and its impact on the socioeconomic system. The field tests of the first protocols are foreseen for August 2007, according to the schedule imposed by the ADI.
For more information, contacts :
Agência de Inovação – Edificio IDIT, rua do IDIT, Espargo, Santa Maria da
Feira 4520-102, Portugal – Phone: +351 256 330 820, fax:
+351 256 332 891 – ADI