Press Release – New Horizon Europe Project DARE Launched to Strengthen European Emergency Response
8 October 2025
Europe faces increasingly frequent and severe disasters, from wildfires and floods to cross-border emergencies, where rapid and coordinated action saves lives. Today marks the official launch of DARE (Deployment And Engagement of Resources and Citizens for European Emergency Response), a new Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action funded under the Civil Security for Society programme.
The project brings together 15 partners from 10 European countries, spanning research institutions, emergency services, NGOs, public authorities, and technology organisations, united by a shared goal: enhancing Europe’s ability to respond collectively and effectively to disasters.
With a total budget of €3.6 million and running until September 2028, DARE will bridge key gaps in disaster response by:
- Harmonising operational procedures across Member States to enable smooth cross-country deployments.
- Ensuring interoperability of command structures for faster and more coordinated decision-making.
- Integrating digital tools through an open-source dashboard combining real-time hazard monitoring, AI-supported multilingual communication, and situational awareness tools.
- Engaging citizens and volunteers in emergency response, with mechanisms for mobilisation and feedback loops between authorities and communities.
At the heart of the project is the ambition to create a resilient, scalable, and citizen-centred European emergency response framework. Through training, workshops, and field exercises, DARE will test and validate harmonised procedures that can be rapidly adopted across Europe.
Quotes:
- Dr. Claudia Berchtold, Project Coordinator, Fraunhofer INT (Germany):
“DARE is about making Europe’s emergency response stronger, faster, and more unified. By creating common ground for technology, procedures, and people, we are building a system that saves lives across borders.”
- Juan Caamaño, Fundació Pau Costa (Spain):
“Our work on the ground during wildfire emergencies shows how urgently Europe needs interoperable systems. DARE will help civil protection services collaborate more effectively during emergencies when every second counts.” - Elsa Pehkonen, Pelastusopisto / Emergency Services Academy Finland (ESAF):
“Common training and shared exercises are the backbone of real readiness. Through DARE we will design and test harmonised training that equips responders across Europe to act together in crises.” - Jorge Gomes, VOST Portugal – Volunteers in Emergency Situations:
“ What we’ve seen in recent disasters across Europe is clear: citizens aren’t only victims, they’re often the very first to respond. With DARE, we want to make sure communities and volunteers are directly connected into emergency management through digital platforms.”
ENDS
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101225656.
Media Contact:
Maria Carolan
EU Project Manager | Carr Communications Ltd
mcarolan@carrcommunications.ie
Project Coordinator Contact:
Dr. Claudia Berchtold
Senior Researcher | Project Manager
Coordinator Sustainable Systems Transformation & Risk Management
Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis – INT
claudia.berchtold@int.fraunhofer.de
Follow DARE updates on DARE LinkedIn and DARE X: @_dare_eu
