Date: 5–8 June 2024
The Erasmus+ KA220 project SUDEM – Sustainable Disaster and Emergency Management Processes Digitalisation was presented at HEMUS 2024, one of the leading international exhibitions and conferences dedicated to defence, security, and emergency technologies. The event took place from 5 to 8 June 2024 at the International Fair Plovdiv, Bulgaria, bringing together governmental organisations, research institutions, universities, industry representatives, and technology providers from numerous countries.
As the project coordinator, the Space Research and Technology Institute – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (SRTI-BAS) represented the SUDEM project both through its exhibition stand and a dedicated conference presentation delivered as part of the international conference programme.
During the presentation, participants were introduced to the objectives of the SUDEM project, its multidisciplinary educational concept, and its contribution to the digital transformation of disaster and emergency management. The presentation highlighted the development of innovative curricula covering disaster monitoring, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), data-driven decision support, edge computing, system resilience, and other digital technologies supporting disaster risk management.
The event provided an excellent opportunity to disseminate the project’s objectives and expected outcomes to an international audience of researchers, public authorities, civil protection organisations, defence institutions, and technology companies. The presentation generated significant interest and opened new opportunities for future scientific cooperation, educational collaboration, and wider dissemination of the project’s results.
In addition to presenting the SUDEM project, SRTI-BAS showcased its long-standing expertise in aerospace technologies, Earth observation, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), remote sensing, communication technologies, and disaster monitoring. Demonstrated technologies included multicopters, fixed-wing unmanned aircraft, advanced avionics, ground control stations, anti-drone systems, and other innovative solutions supporting disaster preparedness, emergency response, and critical infrastructure protection.
Participation in HEMUS 2024 formed an important part of the SUDEM dissemination strategy, increasing the project’s international visibility and strengthening collaboration between academia, industry, governmental organisations, and the wider disaster management community.
