Press Release: Montiferru hosts simulation to test advanced firefighting technologies developed in EU Project TEMA
On Monday, 16 June 2025, a press conference was held at the headquarters of the Regional Directorate-General for Civil Protection (Via Vittorio Veneto 28, Cagliari) to present the pilot test of the Horizon Europe project TEMA, in which the regional Civil Protection is a partner alongside other organisations from all over the European Union.
Speakers included Rosanna Laconi, Regional Councillor for Environmental Protection, Mauro Merella, Director-General for Civil Protection, Gianluca Cocco, Commander of the Forestry and Environmental Surveillance Corps (CFVA), as well as Antonio Casula, Director-General of Forestas.
The project was presented by Vasileios Mygdalis from the TEMA coordinator Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Francesco Mureddu, Vice President of the Lisbon Council, and Salvatore Cinus, TEMA Project Manager for the Sardinian Civil Protection Directorate-General.
The Pilot Test
The pilot trial will take place from 17 to 19 June 2025 in the Montiferru area (Badde Urbara, Municipality of Santu Lussurgiu), where a large-scale wildfire simulation will be conducted in the same zone affected by the 2021 fire, as part of the EU-funded TEMA project (Horizon Europe Programme). The simulation will be based on a controlled prescribed burn, supervised by the Forestry Corps and prepared by Forestas staff.
This is one of four pilot exercises taking place across Europe to test and validate advanced digital technologies aimed at improving emergency coordination and decision-making during natural disasters. The trial is led by the Sardinian Civil Protection Directorate-General, in collaboration with technical partners Engineering Ingegneria Informatica, Tecnosylva, and the University of Messina, with the support of CFVA and Forestas.
About the TEMA Project
TEMA (Trusted Extremely Precise Mapping and Prediction for Emergency Management) is a €11.3 million EU research project running from December 2022 to November 2026. Coordinated by a consortium of 19 partners from eight countries, the project integrates AI, satellite data, real-time visualization, and decision-support tools to enhance emergency management for natural disasters such as wildfires and floods.
Key features of the TEMA platform include:
- Real-time semantic 3D mapping and forecasting
- Scalable cloud-based analytics (NDM-Analytics-as-a-Service)
- Integration of drones, satellite imagery, and on-the-ground reports
- Interactive Augmented Reality for emergency scenario planning
The Sardinian simulation is Italy’s contribution to a pan-European pilot program, which also includes trials in Germany, Greece, and Finland.
Media Access
Accredited local and national media representatives will be able to observe the field activities taking place in Badde Urbara on 19 June.
Interviews with regional officials, emergency responders, and European researchers will be possible during the press conference or on the day of the simulation.
For press accreditation, interviews, or more information, please contact:
Elvira Maria Corona
📧 emcorona@regione.sardegna.it
To learn more about the TEMA project:
🌐 https://tema-project.eu