On May 11, 2024, an important partner meeting of the START Living Lab project took place as part of the Drone Festival in Anras. The meeting not only provided an opportunity for professional exchange, but also marked a clear project milestone: the completion of STAGE1 – ‘Needs and Requirements’. In this phase, the central requirements of mountain rescue services and other stakeholders were successfully identified and prioritised – a solid foundation for the next steps.

With the launch of STAGE2 – ‘Concepts for Solutions’, intensive work is now underway to develop innovative solutions. The project focuses on four key areas: location, transport, wildfires and data management. A mind map tool is being used to collect and link ideas in a structured way, promoting collaborative work in the Living Lab.

The research group SIENA at Carinthia University of Applied Sciences plays a key role in the field of geodata: it is developing a geodata catalogue that enables spatially aware risk assessment for drone operations in search and rescue (SAR) missions. To this end, comprehensive research into the legal framework is first being carried out to ensure that all legal requirements for risk assessment are covered by appropriate geoinformation. In addition, SIENA will develop requirements for a standard scenario for specific SAR missions and identify ways to simplify the use of drones in cross-border SAR operations.

In order to further strengthen project work, it was also decided to hold a project management training course focusing on living labs in the summer of 2024.

With clear goals, thorough preparation and close cooperation, START Living Lab is ideally equipped to actively shape the future of alpine rescue.