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Purpest
The Horizon Europe project PurPest (January 2023 to December 2026), with a budget of €6.472 million, aims to develop a new sensor platform to rapidly detect and stop five different pests during import of plant material. Coordinated by the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), this project is an international collaboration among 18 institutions from 11 European countries.
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Preventing the incursion of quarantine pests into the EU, by detection of the pest during import is expected to facilitate inspection and protect natural and agricultural plant ecosystems.
It is envisioned that this concept can also be used in pest detection in the field to reduce pesticide use directly. The sensor concept is based on detection of pest-specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by host plants invaded by one or several pests. PurPest will determine the VOC signature of different host plants attacked by Phytophthoraramorum, Spodoptera frugiperda (Fall Armyworm), Helicoverpa armigera (Cotton Bollworm), Halyomorpha halys (Brown Marmorated Stinkbug) and Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Pinewood Nematode).
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Compas
COMPAS is a European research initiative aimed at revolutionizing environmental sensing through cutting-edge photonic technology.
By developing a compact, cost-effective, and highly sensitive Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) sensing platform (PSP), COMPAS seeks to enable real-time air and water monitoring with unprecedented precision.
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The project harnesses wafer-level silicon photonics to miniaturize photonic sensors while maintaining high performance, paving the way for their widespread adoption, much like electronic sensors today.
In alignment with the European Chips Act, COMPAS contributes to Europe’s technological sovereignty by advancing chip-based sensing technologies and strengthening the semiconductor sector. Launched in January 2024 under HORIZON-CL4-2023-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01, this 48-month initiative unites eleven leading partners—including universities, research institutes, and industry players—to drive innovation in on-chip bio-molecular sensing with real-world field demonstrations.
For more detailed information, please visit the COMPAS project website.
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SafeWax
SafeWax is pioneering a revolutionary strategy for multifunctional crop protection. This innovative project introduces a plant-inspired wax coating with exceptional super-hydrophobic, anti-adhesive, and self-cleaning properties, effectively shielding crops from pathogenic fungi.
The goal is to develop a universal, bio-inspired spray formulation that offers sustainable control of plant pathogens without relying on toxic pesticides.
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EUFAWREADY provides stakeholders with essential tools for early detection and effective management of the FAW within the EU. By focusing on proactive preparation, the project aims to minimize the pest’s economic, environmental, and social impacts. A central goal is to limit the expected increase in synthetic pesticide use across European agroecosystems by developing sustainable control methods and advanced monitoring systems. This unified approach ensures that the agricultural sector remains resilient and that food supplies are protected from the damage caused by this invasive insect.
For more information, visit the EUFAWREADY project website.
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Emerge Now
EmergeNOW is a 36-month innovation action project that addresses challenges in detecting phytosanitary risks on imported citrus fruits by deploying a systemic solution that uses cutting-edge digital and molecular tools for rapid, on-site detection of Citrus Black Spot (CBS),
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Huanglongbing (HLB), and their insect vectors at EU import points, enabling early warning and control. The solution aims to revolutionize import control procedures at ports and airports by improving precision and efficiency for plant health inspections.
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Forsaid
The FORSAID project, funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, focuses on protecting Europe’s forests from invasive pests, which are driven by globalization and climate change, using innovative technologies. The project employs a multi-actor, multidisciplinary approach to map and monitor regulated pest populations across Europe.
For more information, visit the FORSAID project website.
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By integrating advanced tools such as remote surveillance, robotized devices, and AI-assisted modeling, the project aims to develop a comprehensive strategy for pest identification, monitoring, and assessment.
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Compas
Coordinated by the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), the Horizon Europe project EUFAWREADY (June 2025 to May 2029) aims to protect European agriculture from potential outbreaks of the Fall Armyworm. The project brings together 25 partners to enhance the readiness of agricultural stakeholders, such as farmers, advisors, technicians, industry professionals, and plant health authorities.
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EUFAWREADY provides stakeholders with essential tools for early detection and effective management of the FAW within the EU. By focusing on proactive preparation, the project aims to minimize the pest’s economic, environmental, and social impacts. A central goal is to limit the expected increase in synthetic pesticide use across European agroecosystems by developing sustainable control methods and advanced monitoring systems. This unified approach ensures that the agricultural sector remains resilient and that food supplies are protected from the damage caused by this invasive insect.
For more information, visit the EUFAWREADY project website.
Related project
Forsaid
The EU project REACT, running from November 2022 to October 2026 with a budget of €6.65 million, aims to protect fruit and vegetable production from invasive insect pests, particularly Bactrocera dorsalis and B. zonata. Coordinated by Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Germany, this project brings together 17 partners from various countries, employing innovative, environmentally friendly strategies.
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By integrating advanced tools such as remote surveillance, robotized devices, and AI-assisted modeling, the project aims to develop a comprehensive strategy for pest identification, monitoring, and assessment.
It focuses on developing rapid, species-specific, cost-efficient sterile insect release programs, combining pest invasion risk assessments with socio-economic impact analyses. For more detailed information, please visit the REACT project website (React-Insect)
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Bexyl
BeXyl stands for ‘Beyond Xylella’ and means integrating different scientific approaches to propose and test practical solutions to manage Xylella fastidiosa outbreaks in the EU. Funded by the EU’s Horizon programme with around €7 million and running from 2022 to 2026, the project will support basic and applied research into the drivers of Xylella fastidiosa establishment in Europe, resistant plant varieties, new detection and monitoring systems, plant microbiome treatments, and the economic and social impact of outbreaks.
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More than 40 research institutions, government agencies, nurseries and farmers’ associations, NGOs and “operational groups” of the EU-funded European Innovation Partnership are involved in the project. The aim is to create a community of scientists, citizens, economic operators and policy makers to shorten the distance between research and on-farm applications to manage Xylella fastidiosa outbreaks and prevent new introductions in the EU.