The University of Valencia Science Park Foundation (FPCUV) will celebrate on 11 December the "Innovation from the air: Drones and UAS face extreme scenarios", a meeting at which applications of these technologies will be explored in areas such as flood risk monitoring and prevention and their contribution to water management and land use planning
This session focuses on how the use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can become a key tool for prevention, monitoring and response to extreme scenarios, such as floods that were highlighted by DANA in 2024. This day is part of Innotransfer, the open innovation program promoted by the five science parks in the Valencia region with the support of the Council of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism of the GVA.
In a context where territorial resilience and sustainability become essential, applications of these technologies will be explored in areas such as flood risk monitoring and prevention, damage assessment and real-time response, as well as its contribution to water management and spatial planning, connecting administrations, companies and research teams around innovative solutions for safety and urban planning.
To analyse the opportunities in the sector of unmanned aerial vehicles, the new Innotransfer day will take place at the Marie Curie Auditorium of the University of Valencia Science Park (PCUV), and can also be followed virtually on the YouTube channel of the University of Valencia Science Park.
In a context where territorial resilience and sustainability become essential, applications of these technologies will be explored in areas such as flood risk monitoring and prevention, damage assessment and real-time response, as well as its contribution to water management and spatial planning, connecting administrations, companies and research teams around innovative solutions for safety and urban planning.
To analyse the opportunities in the sector of unmanned aerial vehicles, the new Innotransfer day will take place at the Marie Curie Auditorium of the University of Valencia Science Park (PCUV), and can also be followed virtually on the YouTube channel of the University of Valencia Science Park.
The program will feature the institutional opening of Pedro Carrasco, director of the University of Valencia Science Park (PCUV) and Francisco Javier Sogorb, deputy general director of Advancement of the Digital Society and Digital Enabling Technologies of the Generalitat Valenciana. "Technological innovation opens up new possibilities in the face of the climate emergency, which is particularly alarming in the Mediterranean region, with scenarios such as DANA last October 2024.", Kristin Suleng, organizer of the conference and responsible for the area of Communication and Marketing of the FPCUV.
This will be followed by a series of presentations with research and business staff to address the role of UAS in territorial resilience. Participating will be César Azorín Molina, senior scientist at the Center for Research on Desertification (CIDE, CSIC-UV-GVA); Elisa Yuste Aguilera, pilot and flight instructor, professor in the Chair of Drones and Civil Aviation at UNED Teruel and Marketing Director of the Delsat Group; Verónica Nieves Calatrava, head of the Ai4Oceans Unit at the Image Processing Laboratory (LPI); Ana Isabel Delgado Belmar, innovation officer at the Scientific Unit for Business Innovation (UCIE) at the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC); Carlos Lázaro Echavarría, responsible for business development and marketing at UAV Navigation - Oesia Group; and Antonio Bedmar González, CEO of Abionica Solutions.
This will be followed by a series of presentations with research and business staff to address the role of UAS in territorial resilience. Participating will be César Azorín Molina, senior scientist at the Center for Research on Desertification (CIDE, CSIC-UV-GVA); Elisa Yuste Aguilera, pilot and flight instructor, professor in the Chair of Drones and Civil Aviation at UNED Teruel and Marketing Director of the Delsat Group; Verónica Nieves Calatrava, head of the Ai4Oceans Unit at the Image Processing Laboratory (LPI); Ana Isabel Delgado Belmar, innovation officer at the Scientific Unit for Business Innovation (UCIE) at the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC); Carlos Lázaro Echavarría, responsible for business development and marketing at UAV Navigation - Oesia Group; and Antonio Bedmar González, CEO of Abionica Solutions.
This will be followed by a round table discussion on the challenges and opportunities in responding to emergencies through air technologies. This debate will be attended by Israel Quintanilla García, professor of the Higher Technical School of Aerospace Engineering and Industrial Design at the Polytechnic University of Valencia; César Azorín Molina; Elisa Yuste Aguilera; Luis Vicente Galindo Sánchez, institutional director of IMSDrones; Carlos Lázaro Echavarría, Lorenzo Brualla Barberà, scientific researcher at the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC), and Simón Peña Villasenín, remote sensing specialist in Beniu.
Finally, the event will close with the institutional closure of Raúl Quílez Moraga, director general of Innovation in Emergencies at the Council of Emergency and Internal Affairs of the Generalitat Valenciana.
Finally, the event will close with the institutional closure of Raúl Quílez Moraga, director general of Innovation in Emergencies at the Council of Emergency and Internal Affairs of the Generalitat Valenciana.
An opportunity for improvement in the face of growing risk
Studies warn that the escalation of extreme weather events, such as damage, poses increasing challenges to security and land management. In this context, drones and UAVs emerge as key solutions to anticipate risks, assess damage in real time and optimize emergency response. This is demonstrated, for example, by the article "Deployment of Aerial Robots during the Flood Disaster in Erftstadt/ Blessem in July 2021" (arXiv, 2022), which documents how aerial robots were used to monitor flooded areas, Generate 3D models and support critical decisions in rescue operations.
In the field of drones, the global market for emergency response teams has already exceeded $3.2 billion by 2023 and is expected to grow at an annual rate of over 13% until 2032, according to Global Market Insights Inc. A close example is found in the Valencian Community: during the last DANA, the drones of the Forest Fire Service of the Generalitat carried out more than 40 hours of flight and 20 operations in affected municipalities, demonstrating its usefulness as a support tool in crisis management, damage assessment and protection of local communities.
In the field of drones, the global market for emergency response teams has already exceeded $3.2 billion by 2023 and is expected to grow at an annual rate of over 13% until 2032, according to Global Market Insights Inc. A close example is found in the Valencian Community: during the last DANA, the drones of the Forest Fire Service of the Generalitat carried out more than 40 hours of flight and 20 operations in affected municipalities, demonstrating its usefulness as a support tool in crisis management, damage assessment and protection of local communities.
Studies warn that the escalation of extreme weather events, such as damage, poses increasing challenges to security and land management. In this context, drones and UAVs emerge as key solutions to anticipate risks, assess damage in real time and optimize emergency response
Kristin Suleng, organizer of the conference and responsible for the area of Communication and Marketing of the FPCUV, ensures that "technological innovation opens up new possibilities in the face of the climate emergency, which is particularly alarming in the Mediterranean region, with scenarios such as DANA last October 2024".
For his part, Pedro Carrasco, director of the UV Science Park, stresses that the University of Valencia Science Park "continues to be the natural space for the academic and business world to discuss and open up new possibilities of collaboration in a sector such as that of drones, with enormous potential in the face of climate emergencies.
For his part, Pedro Carrasco, director of the UV Science Park, stresses that the University of Valencia Science Park "continues to be the natural space for the academic and business world to discuss and open up new possibilities of collaboration in a sector such as that of drones, with enormous potential in the face of climate emergencies.
See again the Innotransfer Conference "Intelligent and transformative tourism: Keys to economic recovery from open innovation"
Date: 11 December 2025
Place: Marie Curie Auditorium, University of Valencia Science Park
Time: 10:00 to 12:55
Format: Face-to-face with welcome coffee and virtual through the YouTube channel of the UV Science Park.
Registrations: Interested persons can formalize their attendance through the form available at the following link: Innovation from the air. Drones and UAS face extreme scenarios - Innotransfer
