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VALKYRIES · Project

Cross-Border Emergency Response Platform for Multi-Victim Disaster Coordination

otherPilotedTRL 7
valkyries-h2020.eu

When a major disaster hits — an earthquake, flood, or terrorist attack — rescue teams from different countries show up with different equipment, different radio systems, and different procedures. It's like trying to play a team sport where everyone learned different rules. VALKYRIES built a shared platform and common playbook so that emergency responders from across Europe can coordinate instantly, even when normal communication networks are destroyed. They tested it in real cross-border exercises between Bulgaria and Greece.

By the numbers
20
consortium partners involved
8
countries covered in the deployment network
7
demonstration deliverables produced
58
total deliverables completed
7
SMEs in the consortium
40%
industry partner ratio
The business problem

What needed solving

When multi-victim disasters strike across borders, emergency teams from different countries arrive with incompatible equipment, communication systems, and procedures — costing critical time and lives. There is no unified European standard for first aid vehicle deployment, field coordination, or data sharing during cross-border emergencies. This fragmentation means slower response, duplicated effort, and dangerous communication gaps precisely when coordination matters most.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a modular SaaS Data Management Platform for secure information sharing during emergencies, harmonized procedures and equipment standards for first aid response across 8 countries, AI-powered datasets for training and validation, and conducted real cross-border demonstrations including a Bulgaria-Greece use case with documented end-user acceptance. In total, 58 deliverables were completed including 7 demonstrated solutions.

Audience

Who needs this

Civil protection agencies managing cross-border disaster responseEmergency communication system manufacturers needing interoperability standardsFirst aid vehicle and rescue equipment companies targeting European marketsSaaS companies serving government emergency management departmentsDefense and security contractors expanding into civilian disaster response
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Emergency Response Technology
mid-size
Target: Companies developing or supplying emergency communication and coordination systems

If you are a communications technology provider dealing with the challenge that emergency teams from different countries cannot talk to each other during disasters — this project developed a modular, interoperable platform tested across 8 countries with 20 consortium partners that enables coordinated response even when standard infrastructure is damaged. The platform was demonstrated in real cross-border scenarios between Bulgaria and Greece.

Public Safety Equipment Manufacturing
enterprise
Target: Manufacturers of first aid vehicles, rescue equipment, and field medical systems

If you are a rescue equipment manufacturer struggling with fragmented standards across European markets — this project produced harmonized specifications for first aid response technologies and equipment across 8 countries. With 7 demo deliverables validating interoperability, your products could align with emerging pan-European standards for disaster response gear.

SaaS for Government and Civil Protection
SME
Target: Software companies serving civil protection agencies and disaster management authorities

If you are a SaaS provider looking to serve civil protection agencies — this project built a Data Management Platform offering SaaS tools for legally compliant information sharing during emergencies. Developed with input from 8 industry partners and tested in real demonstrations, it addresses the gap in ethical and secure data exchange between law enforcement and the public during incidents.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt or license the VALKYRIES platform?

The project's EU contribution is not available in the dataset, and no specific licensing or pricing model has been published. Since this was a publicly funded Innovation Action, portions of the technology may be available through consortium partners. Contact the coordinator INDRA SISTEMAS SA for commercial terms.

Can this scale to national or multi-national deployment?

The platform was designed to be modular, interoperable, and scalable by architecture. It was tested in cross-border scenarios across 8 countries (BG, EL, ES, IT, NL, NO, PT, SK) with 20 partners, demonstrating multi-national coordination capability. The Bulgaria-Greece demonstration validated real cross-frontier deployment.

What is the IP situation — can we use this technology?

INDRA SISTEMAS SA, a major defense and technology company, coordinated the project with 20 partners. IP is likely shared across the consortium under the Horizon 2020 grant agreement. Licensing arrangements would need to be negotiated with the relevant consortium members who developed specific components.

Does this meet EU regulatory requirements for emergency response?

A core goal of VALKYRIES was pre-standardization and certification harmonization. The project explicitly tracked standardization needs and developed harmonized common practices and procedures for first aid response. The Data Management Platform was designed to handle information sharing in an ethically and legally sustainable way.

How mature is this technology — is it ready for real emergencies?

This was an Innovation Action (IA), which targets higher technology readiness levels. The project produced 7 demo deliverables including a real cross-border demonstration between Bulgaria and Greece. The SaaS Data Management Platform and harmonized procedures were validated in operational-like conditions.

Can this integrate with our existing emergency systems?

The platform was explicitly designed for integration between legacy solutions and new technologies. It uses a modular architecture that can dynamically adapt its behavior as emergency situations evolve, including Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) scenarios where standard communications infrastructure is damaged.

Consortium

Who built it

The VALKYRIES consortium of 20 partners across 8 European countries is unusually well-balanced for commercialization. With 8 industry players (40% of the consortium) and 7 SMEs, this is not an academic exercise — it was built by companies that make and sell emergency response technology. The coordinator, INDRA SISTEMAS SA, is a major Spanish defense and technology company with existing government contracts across Europe. The geographic spread (BG, EL, ES, IT, NL, NO, PT, SK) covers both Western and Eastern European markets, which matters because cross-border interoperability is the whole point. The mix of 3 universities and 3 research organizations provided the scientific backbone while industry partners ensured the solutions are buildable and deployable.

How to reach the team

INDRA SISTEMAS SA is a major defense and IT company based in Spain — look for their public safety or emergency management division contacts.

Order a report on this consortiumSee INDRA SISTEMAS SA profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the VALKYRIES consortium for licensing or partnership? SciTransfer can connect you with the right team members.

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