Between 13 and 14 February 2025, the first annual consortium meeting of fellow Horizon Europe project STELLA took place at Vienna’s University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences. The event featured a presentation on the FORSAID project by its coordinator, Professor Andrea Battisti of the University of Padua. 

Much like FORSAID, STELLA is committed to developing and expanding technological capabilities in the context of plant health. In that sense, it is the aim of this partner project to develop a holistic digital system to aid in the early warning and detection of quarantine and regulated plant pathogens. STELLA researchers are working to link this framework with a comprehensive response strategy that uses modern sensing technology and artificial intelligence.

This inherent convergence between the two projects’ goals and chosen methods made the presentation given on FORSAID all the more timely and relevant. Within it, Professor Battisti zeroed in on the substantial potential for future collaborations with STELLA in relation to shared detection, survey and identification approaches. Particular emphasis in this regard was given to joint endeavours concerning Ceratocystis platani, a species of fungi that is the subject of research by both Horizon Europe initiatives. Additionally, the first batch of FORSAID promotional materials were distributed at the meeting, garnering further notice from attendees. 

You can expect more updates on our website and social media channels as we build up our partnership with STELLA and other fellow research projects.