Exhibition in Portugal explores innovation in firefighting

From left to right: President of INPI Portugal’s Directive Council, Ana Bandeira; Major General Paulo Costa, Commander of the Air Force Academy; Portugal’s Deputy Minister of Justice, Gonçalo da Cunha Pires; Director of the Air Museum, Colonel Carlos Mouta Raposo; EPO President António Campinos; and Vice-President of the Portuguese Firefighters’ League, Eduardo Correia. Photo by Tiago Albinski.

Today, the European Patent Office (EPO)’s Technology vs Fire exhibition opened in Sintra, Portugal, organised in collaboration with the Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). Portugal, like many other European countries, is facing increased wildfire risks, making the exhibition particularly timely. Through interactive elements and real‑world examples, the exhibition shows how technology can support fire prevention, detection, response and recovery, while also telling the human stories behind these efforts. The exhibition in Sintra will be open until 29 May.

Joint efforts to advance innovation in wildfire prevention and response

The exhibition was officially opened by Portugal’s Deputy Minister of Justice, Gonçalo da Cunha Pires; President of INPI Portugal’s Directive Council, Ana Bandeira; Vice-President of the Portuguese Firefighters’ League, Eduardo Correia; and the President of the EPO, António Campinos. 

The opening event highlighted how the EPO, in close collaboration with national patent offices, supports innovation across Europe and raises awareness of sustainable technologies. President Campinos emphasised the accelerating pace of innovation in areas such as fire prevention and firefighting. He further stressed that the technical information in patents is a key driver of technological development, as patent documents reveal the latest advances and provide essential insights for developing future solutions. President Campinos also paid tribute to the vital role of frontline firefighters as wildfires become increasingly intense, as well as to the indispensable contributions of inventors driving innovation in this field.

This is the third exhibition in the Technology vs Fire series, following earlier editions in Greece and Slovenia in 2024. Each exhibition is developed in close co-operation with national partners and reflects local expertise and experiences, while conveying a shared European message on the value of innovation in tackling complex global challenges. The exhibition also provides an opportunity to recognise the contribution of INPI Portugal and its examiners to the original initiative that led to the development of a smart search platform.

How the EPO firefighting platform supports real‑world innovation

The exhibition builds on the EPO’s firefighting platform, which offers ready‑made smart searches to help inventors, scientists and engineers access technical knowledge related to firefighting and fire prevention. The platform runs on Espacenet, the EPO’s free online patent database, and demonstrates how patent information can help support innovation in making real societal impact.