One of the biggest threats to Europe's forests and farms is the spread of biotic stressors, capable of reversing decades of cultivation and conservation. As part of its efforts to address this challenge, the EU has mobilised three sister projects - FORSAID, CERBERUS and STELLA. Recently, they have released a joint factsheet presenting their complementary activities demonstrating how innovative digital technologies can improve the early detection and management of plant pests.
The factsheet marks the latest chapter in an ongoing partnership between the three initiatives. Funded under the same Horizon Europe call, FORSAID, CERBERUS and STELLA are united by a shared vision, namely that artificial intelligence, remote sensing and citizen engagement can transform how Europe identifies and responds to pest outbreaks. The output not only offers a concise and accessible overview of each project’s respective core objective, but it also highlights where their work intersects -the thematic lines, technological solutions and methodological approaches they have in common.
Looking at them individually, FORSAID is developing a comprehensive framework for the detection, monitoring and management of 10 EU-regulated biotic stressor species in forests. Bringing together 17 partner organisations from 10 countries, the four-year project is placing artificial intelligence and digital technologies at the core of its efforts to map the future of forest pest control in Europe.
CERBERUS is building a multi-layer early detection and monitoring system for Mediterranean agriculture. Integrating remote and proximal sensings, automation for ground solutions and AI, the project collects data from space, the field and the public to support the management of both quarantine and commonly managed pests across vineyards, olive groves and citrus orchards. This information feeds into AI-driven risk maps and spraying recommendations, helping cut pesticide use while maintaining effective crop protection.
STELLA is developing a holistic digital system - the STELLA Pest Surveillance System (PSS) - to support the early warning and detection of regulated pests. Drawing on AI-supported innovations in satellite/UAV sensing, sensor and crowdsourcing technologies, the project pairs the detection capabilities it is developing with a response strategy designed to help stop outbreaks before they can spread.
Although FORSAID concentrates on forest pest control while CERBERUS and STELLA focus on agricultural crops, the three projects have far more in common than a shared funding call. As demonstrated within the factsheet, all three are tackling comparable challenges with overlapping tools - AI-driven risk modelling, remote sensing and citizen science monitoring among them.
This common ground has already brought the projects' younger generation of researchers together. In June 2025, PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from all three consortia met for a first joint Young Scientist Meeting, where they discussed forming dedicated working groups on citizen science, communication, remote sensing and pest surveillance.
Since then FORSAID and STELLA’s partnership has moved into the field. In May 2026 the two projects carried out joint fieldwork on the Greek island of Euboea, deploying drone-based remote sensing to evaluate tree health in forests affected by canker stain disease.
As all three projects move deeper into their implementation phases, this spirit of collaboration is expected to grow further. The joint factsheet serves as both an introduction to their combined work and an invitation to explore what a united, technology-driven plant health protection response can achieve across Europe.