The 26th of September saw the start of the new Horizon Europe-funded FORSAID project. The Beato Pellegrino Complex in the northern Italian city of Padova was the background against which this exciting research endeavour was officially launched. With this gathering, representatives from the research consortium of 17 partner organisations from 10 countries met in person for the very first time.

The kick-off meeting was begun by project coordinator Andrea Battisti (UNIPD) with a welcome to the participants and an introduction to FORSAID. This was followed by a series of insightful presentations by esteemed officials from the European Commission – representatives from DG AGRI, DG SANTE and REA shared their expertise on the policy context behind the initiative. The stage was further set with introductions to artificial intelligence and the ethics of the forthcoming project by Manuel Campagnolo (ISA) and Maarten de Groot (SFI), respectively.

These preliminary contributions paved the way for a deep-dive into the specifics of FORSAID’s working packages that continued into the second day of the event. The core tasks at each stage were looked by the consortium, leading to spirited exchanges of know-how and opinions. At the end, taking all the presentations and discussions into account, FORSAID’s advisory board identified areas in need of greater clarification and collaboration as the project enters its initial phases. The next annual meeting is also scheduled for September 2025 where progress will be discussed vis-à-vis the efforts undertaken during the first 12 months of FORSAID’s implementation.

This introduction marked the onset of the project’’s mission - setting a new standard in the fight against regulated pests in Europe’s forests and for greater plant health across the continent. The experts behind FORSAID see technology as the greatest asset in this endeavour, envisioning the employment of novel digital tools and devices across the continent’s forested areas. In that sense, satellite surveillance, drone deployment and AI modelling will all be utilised to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the threat of EU-regulated tree pests. 

Stay tuned for more news on this exciting new chapter for forests in Europe via our website: www.forsaid.eu. You can also follow us on LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky.