Forests & Wildland Fire Governance and Management Research Chair Launch 21/07/2026

The BPI/Fundación 'la Caixa' Research Chair in 'Forests and Wildland Fire Governance and Management' at the Instituto Superior Técnico was launched on 17 July 2026. This initiative aims to strengthen scientific evidence, public policy and international cooperation in the governance and management of forests and wildfire risk across Europe, and will focus on research and science outreach to foster active landscape management, risk mitigation and evidence-based policy design.

Tiago Oliveira, a globally recognised expert who designed Portugal’s post-2017 wildfire governance system and chaired the Portuguese Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fires (AGIF) until 2026, will lead the initiative. In his presentation, Tiago Oliveira outlined the general scope of Portugal's forests and wooded areas, fire management in Portugal, Europe, and the world, and the focus he intends to give to this research chair.

This initiative addresses Europe’s increasing wildfire risk and aligns with the European Commission’s recommendation to all Member States, issued in 2026, to adopt Integrated Fire Management principles. It will produce scientific publications, technical notes and annual reports, as well as hosting national and international dialogues.

The Research Chair will be hosted at the IN+ Centre for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research at the Instituto Superior Técnico, within the LARSyS research ecosystem. Activities will begin in July 2026. A Scientific Advisory Board and programme will be released by the end of the third quarter of this year.