Plus Ethics has been distinguished with one of the prestigious Spin-off recognitions of “Red de Parques Científicos Valencianos (rePCV)” awards for our outstanding track record in European projects
Disasters, whether natural or human-made, have always posed immense challenges for response and rescue teams worldwide. In an effort to address these challenges and improve disaster management, Plus Ethics, a spin-off company from the Science Park of the Miguel Hernández University (UMH), is now part of an international consortium working towards this noble cause. Their collaborative endeavor is known as the Horizon Europe SYNERGISE project, and its primary goal is to develop an innovative integrated toolkit aimed at enhancing disaster management.
The Horizon Europe SYNERGISE project brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts from 18 partners across Europe, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States. These partners include specialized first responders tasked with validating the toolkit, academic and research organizations contributing technology, and small to medium-sized enterprises responsible for developing innovative components and bringing the kit to market.
One of the unique roles that Plus Ethics plays in this consortium is the identification and management of ethical, legal, and privacy aspects related to the project’s innovation activities. This highlights the commitment to ensuring that ethical considerations are woven into the fabric of disaster management advancements.
The heart of this ambitious project lies in the development of the “Novel Integrated Toolkit.” This toolkit comprises a wide array of tools and services aimed at improving various aspects of disaster response and management, including situational awareness, monitoring of first responders’ positions and vital signs, collaborative response, and resource management.
Situational awareness, the first focus area, involves understanding and appropriately assessing a situation and its influencing factors to construct an effective response. In this context, efforts are underway to provide first responders with autonomous means to swiftly explore accident scenes, thereby speeding up victim detection.
Regarding the monitoring of first responders, the project aims to enhance safety and improve threat and hazard analysis within the operational area. Collaborative response and resource management tools are also on the agenda, designed to foster closer collaboration among deployed teams, chain of command, and participating agencies.
To achieve these objectives, the Novel Integrated Toolkit will incorporate innovative and integrated elements such as aerial robots, advanced wearable devices, systems for detecting potential toxic gases and explosives, advanced location services, as well as augmented reality and artificial intelligence devices.
The ultimate goal of this consortium is to merge the practical experience of rescue teams with technological expertise, enabling faster and safer victim localization during rescue operations. By doing so, they hope to minimize risks for the brave individuals involved in disaster response and enhance overall disaster management capabilities.
In conclusion, Plus Ethics’ participation in the Horizon Europe SYNERGISE project underscores the importance of ethical considerations in the development of innovative solutions for disaster management. Their collaboration within this international consortium holds the promise of more efficient and secure disaster response operations in the future, ultimately saving lives and minimizing the impact of disasters on communities worldwide.