NIGHTINGALE project concludes with Final Event
21 January 2025
Press Release
- The EU-funded NIGHTINGALE project concluded with an online event, featuring presentations from experts in emergency medicine and technology.
- 23 partner organisations from 11 countries joined forces to deliver a novel, AI-based toolkit for first responders, leaving a significant legacy as the technology will be adapted across Europe.
- The NIGHTINGALE project received over €8M in funding from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme.
On 16th January 2025, the NIGHTINGALE consortium gathered to mark the conclusion of the project at the Final Event. The online webinar was attended by over fifty participants from around the world. The event followed the successful development of an AI toolkit for first responders and completion of full-scale exercises in which this toolkit was tested.
The event shared NIGHTINGALE’s achievements, insights and the future potential of the project’s collaborative efforts.
Dr Spyros Athanasiadis from NIGHTINGALE’s coordination team, the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS), discussed the NIGHTINGALE Toolkit and how it impacts the emergency medical domain. Spyros highlighted the toolkit’s triage and vital signs devices, and the toolkit’s integrated systems that enable multi-agency collaboration of emergency medical services and civil protection agencies. Spyros then explored how continuous monitoring of patients triggers a step-change in Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) handling, which meets the challenge of medical responders being overwhelmed with high numbers of casualties and delayed periodic assessments.
NIGHTINGALE project partners Tiago Rocha da Silva from Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores Inovação (INOV), Vangelis Sdongos from ASTRIAL GmbH, and Dr Sofia Tsekeridou from NETCOMPANY-INTRASOFT also presented. These partners examined how AI and predictive analyses can improve MCIs, multi-agency as a solution to limited resources and managing chaos, and how users can effectively interpret massive monitoring and analytics data. Tiago looked at how the NIGHTINGALE toolkit’s unmanned aerial systems obtain a better overview of MCIs, Vangelis showed how the toolkit shares incident information across the chain of command, and Sofia discussed how the toolkit manages, processes and presents information to first responders.
Dr Marta Caviglia, user coordinator from CRIMEDIM UPO – Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Global Health, provided insights from First Responders. Among the feedback from first responders is that the NIGHTINGALE toolkit enabled an improvement in triage and timely care, increased efficiency and speed of response, and enabled a customisable approach to evolving MCI scenarios.
Dr Sean Travers from Carr Communications (CCL) showcased NIGHTINGALE’s toolkit video results. Footage was shown from NIGHTINGALE’s Small Scale Exercise in Novara, 1st Full Scale Exercise in Villejust and 2nd Full Scale exercise in Savona, the last of which had the project members test the toolkit and participate in two Mass Casualty simulations alongside rescuers and volunteers.
Giannis Skiadaresis, DRS Area Coordinator from the Department for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME), was the keynote speaker at the event. Giannis explored NIGHTINGALE’s capacity to feed into the Commission’s policymaking work. Jon Hall, facilitator of CMINE – The Crisis Management Innovation Network, was also a guest speaker. Jon delivered a presentation on project clustering and highlighted the Responder Technology Cluster, which NIGHTINGALE joined together with eight other DRS02-related projects in disaster resilient technologies for first responders.
In addition, this event brought together other leading projects on disaster resilient technologies for first responders. Dr Katerina Valouma presented the TeamUp project, which addresses key challenges in CBRN-E preparedness and response. Louise Vos discussed how the DIREKTION project enhances disaster resilience by uniting first responders, researchers and industry experts. Davide Lisi showcased the OVERWATCH project, which implements a crisis management system focused on wildfires and flood events. Yana Lazarova represented the CARMA project, which enhances the efficiency and safety of first responders through cutting-edge technologies and enables intuitive, socially acceptable human-robot collaboration for emergency operations. Tiina Ristmäe showed how the SYNERGISE project develops the capabilities of first responders and increases emergency services’ safety and efficiency.
Dr Angelos Amditis, coordinator (ICCS) said of the Final Event:
“The NIGHTINGALE project represents a significant step forward in equipping emergency medical services and civil protection agencies with cutting-edge technologies to save lives and enhance disaster response. Over the course of this project, we have not only advanced technology but also built a collaborative framework that strengthens resilience globally. The Final Event is a testament to the dedication of our partners and stakeholders, showcasing how innovation and teamwork can transform the way we respond to emergencies and protect our communities.”
Dr Spyros Athanasiadis, member of the coordination team (ICCS), said of the Final Event:
“The event provided a crucial opportunity to showcase the NIGHTINGALE integrated, AI-based toolkit we developed for First Responders to improve current procedures and methodologies for mass casualty incidents, while the presentations from other leading figures in the areas of AI-based technology, pre-hospital life support and triage further demonstrated the necessity and value of integrating AI technology into MCI management.”
A recording of the NIGHTINGALE Final Event is available here: Final Event Recap | www.nightingale-triage.eu
ENDS
For more information about the NIGHTINGALE project, or to arrange an interview with a NIGHTINGALE representative, contact Dr Sean Travers, Carr Communications, at stravers@carrcommunications.ie
Notes to the Editor
More about the NIGHTINGALE Project
The NIGHTINGALE project is developing a novel integrated toolkit for emergency medical response, in order to optimise the current procedures and operational capabilities of emergency medical services and civil protection agencies in mass casualty incidents. This toolkit has been designed for emergency medical services and non-medical civil protection agencies, including fire brigades, police, search and rescue personnel, volunteers, and citizens.
The toolkit has undergone extensive testing and validation by first responders. This includes practical training exercises, laboratory testing, and small- and full-scale field tests in realistic mass casualty incident scenarios.
Contact information of the NIGHTINGALE Project Coordinator
Dr Angelos Amditis | Research and Development Director | Institute of Communication and Computer Systems | a.amditis@iccs.gr
For more information about the project, visit the NIGHTINGALE website and follow NIGHTINGALE on LinkedIn and X.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101021957.
